If it passes both the House and the Senate, the AHCA would then go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
Impact on Employers
However, unless the AHCA is passed by the Senate and signed by President Trump, the ACA will remain intact.
Legislative Process
Since the AHCA was introduced, it has been amended several times. To address concerns raised by both Democrats and fellow Republicans, the House Republican leadership released amendments to the legislation on March 20, 2017, followed by a second set of amendments on March 23, 2017. On March 23, 2017, House leadership withdrew the AHCA before taking a vote. After the withdrawal, Republicans made additional amendments (the MacArthur amendments) to the AHCA, followed by a separate corrective amendment. A new House vote was scheduled for May 4, 2017, which resulted in a 217 to 213 vote to pass the AHCA.
The AHCA will now move on to be considered by the Senate. It is likely that the Senate will make changes to the proposed legislation before taking a vote. The AHCA would only need a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass. However, unless the AHCA is passed by the Senate and signed by President Trump, the ACA will remain intact.
ACA Provisions Not Impacted
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Cost-sharing limits on essential health benefits (EHBs) for non-grandfathered plans (currently $7,150 for self-only coverage and $14,300 for family coverage)
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Prohibition on lifetime and annual limits for EHBs
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Requirements to cover pre-existing conditions
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Coverage for adult children up to age 26
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Guaranteed availability and renewability of coverage
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Nondiscrimination rules (on the basis of race, nationality, disability, age or sex)
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Prohibition on health status underwriting
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