Here's what the Senate healthcare bill means for all types of Americans

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June 23, 2017 2:06 AM

The Senate healthcare bill would likely increase costs for middle and lower income Americans, while upper income Americans would get a huge tax break.

Senate Republican leadership released a long-awaited Obamacare repeal and replace bill Thursday, providing the first look at their vision of the future for America's healthcare system.

The 142-page discussion draft, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act, has the potential to affect a wide scope of Americans' lives — from taxes on medical equipment to tax credits for people to buy coverage.

For people who have insurance through their employers, a bulk of the country, there would be substantial but less-direct effects. The more immediate impact would come on people who get their insurance through the individual insurance marketplace, like the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act, or government programs like Medicaid.

We've broken it down by income strata with some additional information on the broader effects. (Note: Income levels are chosen to highlight distinctive features of the bill.)

Low-income Americans

Definition:
the cutoff to qualify for Medicaid under Obamacare's expansion
Effect on costs:
the 32 states that took up the program
Bottom line:
Costs would likely rise for people on both Medicaid and the expansion.
Effect on care:
The Congressional Budget Office estimated
Bottom line:
There would be fewer lower-income people covered — and in states that take up waivers, their plans would cover less.

Middle-income Americans

Definition:
Effect on costs:
Additionally,
the benchmark plan for Obamacare
has
an
.
Bottom line: People receiving subsidies would likely end up paying more, and fewer middle-income Americans would receive assistance with premiums.
Effect on care:

High-income Americans

Definition:
Effect on costs:
Bottom line: The most wealthy people could pay a lot less in taxes, while maintaining the same price for their insurance.
Effect on care:

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