Some parts of GOP health bill violate Senate rules
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Andrew Harnik / AP
The Senate parliamentarian ruled Friday that some parts of the Senate health care bill do not comply with budget rules, meaning that if they're included in the bill, they'll need 60 votes to pass. (They won't get 60 votes.)
The biggest provisions that will have to come out if the Senate follows past precedent: Planned Parenthood defunding, abortion funding restrictions, and funding for insurer cost-sharing payments. However, one of the most controversial amendments of the bill, Sen. Ted Cruz's Consumer Freedom Act, wasn't included in her ruling, as it only addressed an earlier version of the bill that didn't include it.
The big things she said don't comply:
- The provision barring Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding for a year
- The language preventing premium tax credits from being used for plans that cover abortion
- Funding for insurer subsidies, known as cost-sharing reduction subsidies
- The six-month waiting period for the individual market for people who haven't maintained continuous coverage
What's still under review:
- Enhanced waivers for some Affordable Care Act regulations
- A provision allowing small businesses to establish association health plans
- The provision allowing insurers to charge older people more than younger people compared to the ACA
- The option for states to receive a block grant instead of a per-person funding cap
