Analysis: Senate Has Opportunity With Health Care Bill

The results of polling by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation on the health care bill passed by the House of Representatives should be sufficient to chill the blood of Senate Republicans.

The poll found that three out of four people surveyed don't like what the House passed in haste. They also said it does not fulfill what President Donald Trump promised as a candidate, though Trump said earlier the bill is a "great plan."

A growing number of Americans say the American Health Care Act, designed to repeal former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, will have negative consequences for them by increasing their costs, making it harder to get and retain health insurance, or reducing the quality of their insurance, according to the polling.

Without scoring by the Congressional Budget Office, the House bill is chock full of things that make most Americans nervous. For example, the CBO's score, done after the bill was passed, estimates as many as 23 million fewer people covered by insurance. The CBO also found that, while insurance rates will be reduced over time, it could destabilize coverage for people with health problems in some states.

The Republican bill would eliminate Medicaid expansion that is part of Obama's health care plan, and limit future federal spending for the safety net program.

One of the more troubling elements of the Republican bill is the reduction in taxes for the wealthy. Obama had used increased taxes on the wealthy to help pay for the Affordable Care Act. No tax relief is offered for the middle class in the Republican bill.

Senators are home for a recess this week, and it's likely they will hear from constituents about the pending health care bill. Democrats are opposed to the House bill, and more and more Republican senators are expressing reservations about it.

The concern among Republicans is palpable, because Trump has performed less than spectacularly as president. His Twitter rants have been a source of embarrassment for many, and his policy positions are, at best, unclear.

The Senate has an opportunity to craft a health care bill that actually helps expand health care coverage, as the Affordable Care Act has done. Killing Obamacare should not be the only goal.

Senate Republicans ultimately will own the health care bill, and with midterm elections next year, the GOP could experience significant losses if its bill is a stinker.