McConnell Makes $105B in Changes to Healthcare Bill to Woo Votes

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday made $105 billion in changes to the chamber's healthcare bill with the intention of winning back some votes from Republican holdouts, the Washington Examiner reported.

Roughly nine conservative and moderate Republican senators voiced their opposition to the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), forcing McConnell to postpone the vote until after the July 4 recess.

So the Kentucky Republican went to work, adding $45 billion to fight opioid abuse (favored by centrists) and allow health savings accounts (HSA) to be used toward premiums (favored by conservatives), the Examiner reported.

The HSA change is expected to reduce revenues by $60 billion, with both changes expected to cut deficit reduction by $105 billion, the Examiner reported.

McConnell has roughly another $100 billion to play with to woo more holdouts, but still meet deficit reduction guidelines that are necessary to get the BCRA through reconciliation, the Examiner reported.

But challenges abound for McConnell:

• Sen. Bill Cassidy wants maternity coverage.
• Sen. Susan Collins says the whole bill needs a "fundamental overhaul."
• Sen. Rand Paul doesn't think the BCRA goes far enough to repeal Obamacare.
• Sen. Rob Portman is miffed with McConnell over Medicaid.

The BCRA can only afford two nay votes from Republicans in order to pass.

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