Trump ultimatum: Pass health bill now or live with Obamacare

President Donald Trump reportedly laid down an ultimatum to House Republicans on Thursday night: Pass the health-care bill, as is, on Friday, or live with Obamacare.

The hard line came after more than a day of frantic negotiations to win the support of conservative Republicans who oppose the bill, and could block its passage. A vote on the bill had been scheduled for Thursday night, but was postponed earlier in the day after the GOP couldn’t win over holdout lawmakers.

The move is a gamble by the Trump administration, which has placed much political capital in its promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

One concession the White House agreed to was removing requirements that health insurance plans include basic services, such as maternity care, mental health and hospitalization, although that risks turning off moderate Republicans.

A new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office earlier in the day may have added to the bill’s woes. The CBO found that changes made to the bill this week would significantly decrease the savings to the federal deficit over 10 years — cutting it by $150 billion, instead of the $337 billion in the original plan — while still leaving 24 million more people uninsured.

Marketwatch