ACA Repeal and Replace Vote Expected Tomorrow

In the continuing saga of the Senate “repeal and replace” efforts, Senate Republican leadership is expected to move toward a vote tomorrow, Tuesday, July 25th, to start debate on repeal of the Affordable Care Act. That said, it is still unclear as to what legislation the Senate will move to debate – and whether that legislation will be a “repeal and replace” bill, such as the AHCA passed by the House, or if it will be a straight repeal vote. Today’s New York Times has a good run down of possible scenarios.

As the American Nurses Association has said:

Nurses have joined with concerned citizens across the country to make their voices heard, and are closer than ever to defeating these bills. It’s critical that we send a clear message to our representatives: reforming America’s health care system should be done in a transparent and bipartisan manner, and include input from those who care for and treat patients every day.

Senate Republicans, however, are continuing to negotiate, which is why concerned advocates should continue calling their Senators and urging them to follow a process that allows adequate time for public input and embraces common-sense fixes to the ACA. Making health care better isn’t impossible, as long as nurses are given a seat at the table.