On July 25, 2017, members of the U.S. Senate voted 50-50 to open up the American Health Care Act (AHCA) for debate and amendments in the Senate, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote in favor of the measure. The AHCA is the bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that passed in the House of Representatives on May 4, 2017.

As a result of the vote, the Senate will now begin debate on the AHCA, as it was passed by the House. However, amendments are likely to be made to the bill before a final vote is taken. The Senate’s August recess has been delayed by two weeks to accommodate a vote on an ACA repeal and replacement bill.

The Senate has not voted on any ACA repeal or replacement proposal at this time. The AHCA would need a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass.

However, it is likely that the Senate will make changes to the bill before taking a vote. If it passes the Senate, the AHCA would need to go back to the House for approval before being signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Refer to the attached compliance bulletin for details and contact your NEEBCo representative with any questions you may have.

Senate Votes to Take Up AHCA For Debate