CBO scores Republican health care bill

The Congressional Budget Office has released its scoring analysis of the revised  American Health Care Bill passed by the Republican House on May 4th.

As reported by Reuters, 23 million people would lose health coverage by 2026, which is only one million fewer than in the first version that was so bad that the House leadership didn't even bring to the floor for a vote.

It is also estimated that the bill would reduce the deficit by $119 billion over the same period.   In order to achieve that, while also eliminating Obamacare taxes on the wealthy that cover the subsidies, the Republican bill rolls back the Medicaid health plan, allows insurance companies to charge older people as much as five times as much as younger people, allows pre-existing conditions to be a barrier in some situations, and allows states to opt out of some "essential health benefits" required in Obamacare.

The Senate has a group working on a plan of their own, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Reuters that he does not know how Republicans will get the necessary votes.   Don't trust him.  Word is that a secret Senate version is being crafted that will be pushed through without public hearings, with little debate, and hoping to sneak it through like the House did its version.

The big question, with the Russia-Trump investigation roaring onto the scene, is whether Republicans have enough political capital to get anything done.

Ralph