CBO says Obamacare repeal to leave 32 mln uninsured by 2026

Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-20 10:47:21|Editor: Zhou Xin
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WASHINGTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- A Republican repeal on the current U.S. health care system would leave 32 million uninsured by 2026, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Wednesday.

The CBO estimated the number of people who are uninsured would increase by 17 million in 2018 if the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as the Obamacare, were to be repealed without a substitute.

The analysis said the GOP bill, the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act (ORRA), once enacted, would leave 27 million more uninsured by 2020, and 32 million more by 2026.

The Republican legislation is a near-identical copy to repeal-only bill vetoed by former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2015.

It has been brought up by the Republican leadership as an alternative to the stalled Better Care Reconciliation Act, a GOP plan designed to repeal and replace the Obamacare.

The CBO report looked at the direct spending and revenue effects of the ORRA, which would repeal many ACA provisions.

It predicted that average premiums in the private health insurance market that serves individuals who purchase policies directly from insurers would increase by roughly 25 percent relative to projections under the existing system.

The increase would reach about 50 percent in 2020, and premiums would about double by 2026, it found.

Under the Republican legislation, about half of the U.S. population would "live in areas having no insurer participating non-group market in 2020," the report said, citing "potential downward pressure on enrollment and upward pressure on premiums."

"That share would continue to increase, extending to about three quarters of the population by 2026," it added.

The GOP-proposed bill would also reduce the federal deficit by 473 billion U.S. dollars from 2016 through 2026, according to the report.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the repeal-only proposal Monday after conceding failure in the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The plan was opposed by three Republican senators very shortly after the announcement, but McConnell still decided to move ahead on vote, though now he does not have the votes enough to get it to the Senate floor.

A repeal on Obamacare was one of U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign promises in 2016.

As the Republican unsuccessful move continued, Trump's frustration appeared to grow.

During a lunch meeting Wednesday, Trump urged senators to stay in Washington to forge an agreement on the health care legislation before the start of an already postponed August recess.

"We can repeal, but we should repeal and replace ...," Trump said at the meeting.

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