Washington — The US Senate took a first concrete step towards dismantling Obamacare on Thursday, voting to instruct key committees to draft legislation repealing President Barack Obama’s signature health insurance programme. The vote was 51-48. The resolution now goes to the House of Representatives, which is expected to vote on it this week. Scrapping Obamacare is a top priority for the Republican majorities in both chambers and Republican president-elect Donald Trump. Republicans have said that the process of repealing Obamacare could take months, and developing a replacement plan could take longer, but they are under pressure from Trump to act fast. On Wednesday he said that the repeal and replacement should happen "essentially simultaneously." Some 20-million previously uninsured Americans received health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as Obamacare is officially called. Coverage was extended by expanding Medicaid and through online exchanges where consumers can ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.