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22 Million More Uninsured Under Senate Health Care Bill, CBO Says

$321 billion would be saved over 10 years

The draft health care bill written by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, would result in 22 million more Americans without health insurance by 2026, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
The draft health care bill written by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, would result in 22 million more Americans without health insurance by 2026, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The Senate Republican health care bill would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 22 million over a decade to 49 million, the Congressional Budget Office said Monday. This estimate likely will increase the challenges for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky in trying to pass the bill before the July Fourth recess.

In comparison, the version the House passed May 4 would increase the uninsured population by 23 million over a decade, the CBO said last month. The Senate bill would save $321 billion over a decade, more than the House bill’s $119 billion reported by the CBO last month.

The CBO’s conclusions will exacerbate McConnell’s hurdles in gaining unity among his fractured GOP conference. Several Senate Republicans raised doubts in recent days about whether they would vote for a motion to proceed to the bill if McConnell tries to hold it Tuesday or Wednesday.

The $202 billion in savings above the House plan could give McConnell and other supporters substantial flexibility to make deals and win the support of more moderate members of the conference. Those lawmakers, however, might insist on updated CBO scoring before voting for the motion to proceed.

The Senate health care bill was released last week.

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