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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's two Republican senators could play a pivotal role in what could be a prolonged debate over health care in the United States as the Senate takes a crack at rewriting the contentious law.
Some senators, including Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, have already expressed displeasure with the legislation that narrowly passed the House last week, with only Republicans voting in favor.
"Unfortunately that bill contains numerous fatal procedural flaws and much of it will have to be rewritten," Lee wrote in his weekly newsletter. "In fact, it will probably have to be re-envisioned entirely."
As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, will be intimately involved in whatever comes out of the Senate.
Hatch lauded the House bill as a "major step" to dismantling Obamacare's taxes and mandates, while providing patient-centered reforms that put American families — not Washington — in charge of their health care.
But at the same time, he said the Senate would work to put together a package that reflects its members' priorities with the explicit goal of getting 51 votes.
"Coupled with the constraints imposed by the budget reconciliation process, we must manage expectations and remain focused on the art of the doable as we move forward," Hatch said in a statement.
President Donald Trump applied pressure to Senate Republicans over the weekend, urging them in a tweet to "not let the American people down."
But a vote might not come quickly as the Senate could take weeks if not months to vote on a proposal. At least one GOP senator has said the Senate would not take up the House bill, which could force a compromise before any legislation hits Trump's desk.
Related:
States brace for big decisions under GOP health care changes
Even as the Republican health care overhaul remains a work in progress, states are planning for big changes that could swell the ranks of the uninsured and hit them with higher costs.Lee said a diverse group of Republicans, including moderates and conservatives, are already working on a bill aimed at getting 51 votes and surviving the budget reconciliation rules.
"Ideally, a final product would put Medicaid on a sustainable fiscal path while minimizing disruptions in care for those currently enrolled in the program. It would take steps toward equalizing the tax treatment of health insurance," he wrote.
Lee said it would also find a way to better finance health care for low-income Americans and those with pre-existing conditions without disrupting the health care market for the rest of the country.
"At a minimum this would mean repealing all or most of the Obamacare insurance regulations or at least require states to opt in to them," he said.
Senators concerned about the House bill cited the potential for higher costs for older people and those with pre-existing conditions, a well as cuts to Medicaid. It includes a provision allowing states to request a waiver to permit insurers to charge higher premiums based on a person's health status, including pre-existing conditions.
According the Utah Health Policy Project, the repeal bill would make 52 million Americans uninsured by 2026. It would reduce financial assistance for tens of thousands of Utah families by replacing income-based subsidies with age-limited tax credits.
The group also says under the bill, a family of four in their 30s earning $120,000 a year would pay less in premiums than the same family making $40,000.
