Senate Republicans unveil revised health-care bill

Senate Republicans on Thursday released a revised draft of their plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare. The second draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act puts an additional $70 billion toward covering out-of-pocket costs and $45 billion toward battling the opioid epidemic and adds a provision that would allow people to use health savings accounts to pay their premiums.
The revised bill also enables insurers to provide lower-premium plans that provide less coverage, as long as they offer at least one plan that follows ObamaCare standards. The amendment is similar to one proposed by Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Mike Lee (Utah), though some experts worry that the option will make the more comprehensive ObamaCare-compliant plans prohibitively expensive for the sicker customers who need them.
The new bill also retains two ObamaCare taxes on the wealthy that were axed in the first iteration of the bill. Cuts to Medicaid remain largely intact.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Republican leadership is eyeing a vote on the revised bill next week, following the release of a new score from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Read the full text of the bill here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Spain's love of sunflower seeds is wrecking its football stadiums
Under the Radar One club controversially bans 'national vice' as discarded 'pipas' shells block drains and erode concrete
-
Today's political cartoons - May 11, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - shark-infested waters, Mother's Day, and more
-
5 fundamentally funny cartoons about the US Constitution
Cartoons Artists take on Sharpie edits, wear and tear, and more
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine