At press time, the U.S. House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on H.R. 1628, the “American Health Care Act” (AHCA), later today. In previous weeks, the legislation passed through the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Committee on Ways and Means and the Budget Committee. This legislation would encompass the first phase of a three-phase process to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If the full House passes the legislation, prospects for the legislation remain uncertain in the Senate.

H.R. 1628 leaves the exchanges in place but repeals major provisions of the ACA, including its subsidy structure, the individual and employer mandate penalties, and various taxes. The legislation also makes changes to the way Medicaid is delivered. In a win for the Big “I,” the legislation does not impact the current employer tax exclusion, and it delays the “Cadillac” tax until 2026. The Big “I” aggressively lobbied against a cap to the employer exclusion that was included in a previous draft of the bill. Finally, among other provisions, the legislation makes changes to Health Savings Accounts.

The Big “I” has compiled a summary of the relevant major provisions of the legislation, as well as other information of importance to independent agents and brokers. The Big "I" summary is available on the association’s government affairs webpage and continues to be updated as changes are made to the AHCA. Members must log in to view the document.

It’s important to note that the AHCA is just the first step in the repeal and replace process. Additional actions—including executive actions and further legislative proposals—are expected. The Big “I” will continue  to beon the forefront of this critical issue and keep members up to date on relevant developments as the AHCA and other ACA repeal and replace efforts move forward.

Wyatt Stewart is Big “I” senior director of federal government affairs.