Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., have not said they would vote against their party's new healthcare bill, but they have still worked at crafting an alternative amendment that would pose a sharp diversion from current GOP efforts, according to The Greenville News.
The senators' proposed amendment would maintain most ACA taxes but give it back to states in the form of block grants. This funding model is not connected to Medicare or Medicaid funding, but designed to allow states greater autonomy in how or whether they want to organize their own insurance exchanges.
The bill would end the ACA's federal individual and employer insurance mandates but maintain requirements for insurance to cover people with pre-existing conditions.
"If you like Obamacare, you can re-impose the mandates at the state level," Mr. Graham said on CNN. "You can repair Obamacare if you think it needs to be repaired. You can replace it if you think it needs to be replaced. It'll be up to the governors. They've got a better handle on this than any bureaucrat in Washington."
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