A much-anticipated cost estimate for the House-approved version of the American Health Care Act is slated for release before the end of the month.
The Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation are preparing the cost estimate, which the CBO expects to release early in the week of May 22, Deborah Kilroe, CBO's associate director for communications, said in a blog post. The CBO "will provide advance notice of the date and time of release before publishing it," she added.
The House did not have a cost estimate when it voted 217-213 May 4 to approve the healthcare bill. Now that the bill is with the Senate, the chamber's parliamentarian needs the CBO's estimate to decide which parts of the revised AHCA may be considered through a budget reconciliation process for items related to taxes and spending, reports The Washington Post. Through this process, the Senate could pass the legislation with 51 "yes" votes.
The CBO's score of the original AHCA in March estimated the legislation would decrease the federal deficit by approximately $337 billion over the next 10 years. It also estimated 24 million insured Americans would no longer have coverage by 2026.