CBO won’t have score on revised ObamaCare bill next week

The budget scorekeeper for Congress is apparently a few weeks away from releasing an analysis of the GOP’s revised ObamaCare repeal-and-replace bill.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) told House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) office Thursday that a score of the bill would not be ready this week or next.  

CBO has informed us they will not have a score on the revised #Trumpcare bill this week or next week.

— Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) April 27, 2017

{mossecondads}The score would detail the impacts the American Health Care Act could have on ObamaCare enrollees. 

Republicans have talked of holding a vote on the healthcare bill soon, following the crucial endorsement of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. If a vote is held, lawmakers could vote on the bill before knowing the estimated effects it would have.

The CBO has already released a score on the original healthcare legislation. That analysis found an estimated 24 million people could become uninsured under the healthcare plan in the next decade. The analysis also found that insurance costs would rise for older people under the plan but fall for younger people.

But the CBO has not yet scored an amendment to the bill introduced this week by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.). 

The amendment, added to appeal to conservatives, would allow states to apply for waivers for some of ObamaCare’s regulations, which could result in additional coverage losses for some people. 

In particular, states could waive out of community rating, which requires insurers charge everyone the same price for coverage regardless of medical condition, and essential health benefits, which mandate what services insurers must cover.

While the conservative House Freedom Caucus announced its endorsement of the bill Wednesday, there are still several moderate Republicans saying they won’t support it. 

It’s unclear when GOP leadership plans to call the bill for a vote, but they have said repeatedly it won’t be on the floor until it has the support to pass. 

Many moderate Republicans would likely have issues with voting on the legislation without an updated CBO score.