On May 4, 2017, members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted along party lines to pass an amended version of the American Health Care Act - proposed legislation to repeal and replace the ACA. The AHCA will now move on to be considered by the Senate.
ACA Provisions Not Impacted
The majority of the ACA would not be affected by the AHCA. The MacArthur amendments specifically maintain most of the ACA’s market reforms. For example, the following key ACA provisions would remain in place:
- Cost-sharing limits on essential health benefits (EHBs) for non-grandfathered plans (currently $7,150 for self-only coverage and $14,300 for family coverage)
- Prohibition on lifetime and annual limits for EHBs
- Requirements to cover pre-existing conditions
- Coverage for adult children up to age 26
- Guaranteed availability and renewability of coverage
- Nondiscrimination rules (on the basis of race, nationality, disability, age or sex)
- Prohibition on health status underwriting
Click here to download the ACA Compliance Bulletin - which provides an overview of the proposed legislation and its potential impact going forward.
