The Senate is voting on President Donald Trump's sweeping bill on tax cuts, Medicaid and border security, after a marathon weekend of caustic debate and political maneuvering, but the result isn't known for certain. The finish line will come after a whirlwind of votes nicknamed a "vote-a-rama" on what are expected to be dozens of amendments, which could take hours.
Dozens of House Republicans are scrambling behind the scenes to head off the deep Medicaid cuts in the Senate version of the party-line megabill that could pass as soon as tonight. Group texts are blowing up and frantic phone calls are being exchanged among GOP lawmakers alarmed about the Senate Medicaid provisions, according to six House Republicans granted anonymity to describe the conversations. Even some conservatives in states that will be hit hard by the Senate’s crackdown on state-directed payments and medical provider taxes don’t want to vote on the Senate's Medicaid text.
Starting today, United Healthcare's Medicare Advantage plans will no longer be accepted at four Brown University Health hospitals. Those include group retiree plans. United Healthcare says it's open to returning to the negotiating table with Brown University Health in the future. Brown University Health cited UHC's refusal to eliminate administrative policies that deviate from normal Medicare practices, saying the two 'mutually decided to end the Medicare Advantage hospital contract.'
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the structure of the federal task force that recommends which preventive services insurers must cover at no cost to patients. The 6-3 decision will ensure continued access to free cancer screenings, vaccines, HIV drugs, and counseling for the roughly 150 million Americans with private health insurance under ObamaCare.
Senate Republicans hit a major setback in their race to pass a massive tax and spending package on Thursday, as a chamber official ruled against a key Medicaid provision, putting in doubt plans for a vote by the end of the week. The nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, who plays a key role in determining what provisions can stay in the fast-tracked bill, said the GOP change to how states can tax Medicaid providers does not adhere to rules for passing the bill with a simple majority. This was a key provision to help offset the costs of the bill's tax cuts.