GOP withdraws healthcare act bill

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains the healthcare law of the land.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., pulled the American Health Care Act (AHCA) late Friday afternoon before it was scheduled to a vote on the House floor. The majority party couldn’t shore up a majority of the votes to pass the bill and facing President Donald Trump’s Thursday night ultimatum, were forced to withdraw.

"We came really close today, but we came up short," Ryan said at a press conference Friday afternoon. "This is a disappointing day for us."

Ryan introduced the long-awaited replacement for the Affordable Care Act less than a month ago. Trump, who was reportedly frustrated by Democratic and Republican response to the 55-page proposal, told the House he wanted a vote Thursday, the anniversary of the ACA’s passage, as is or he would focus attention elsewhere.

“But I want to have a great health care bill and plan, and we will,” Trump said in an address from the Oval Office. “It will happen. And it won't be in the very distant future.”

The AHCA would have made sweeping changes to Medicaid and was opposed by more than 90 associations and agencies, including LeadingAge, the Gerontological Society of America, AARP, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs.

Read more: The repeal and replace bill: Medicaid’s most dangerous enemy?

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.