According to Phil Mattingly, a CNN Congressional Correspondent, the House leadership is now considering including the EHBs for repeal in the reconciliation process:
BREAK: House leadership now open to changes to the AHCA after learning new info about EHBs/the reconciliation process, per leadership aide
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 22, 2017
House leaders are now talking to the White House and members about the idea – this would be a big step forward w/ the Freedom Caucus
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 22, 2017
Up to this point EHBs had been left out of the bill out of concern that they wouldn't be Byrd Rule compliant
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 22, 2017
While adding this into the bill would still certainly result in a Byrd rule challenge, info suggests it wouldn't be fatal to overall bill
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 22, 2017
Of note: no deal has been made yet, but this is now in play – and a big reason Freedom Caucus folks are preaching "optimism" now
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 22, 2017
According to TPM the EHBs are the mandatory services insurers have to cover:
The EHB rule…requires that insurance plans have to cover a basic minimum of health care services, including emergency room visits, hospitalization, outpatient services, maternity care, mental health and substance abuse services, prescription drugs, rehabilitative and habilitative services, lab tests, preventive care like vaccines, and vision and dental care for children.
This would get rid of one of the big redistribution of wealth components that was built in to Obamacare.
Freedom Caucus chairman Meadows: I'm not going to say a deal is done, but there's a framework there. Discussions are ongoing.
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) March 22, 2017
If they include this it will be great news, however we’re still waiting on the news that they are going to include repealing the health care regulations via reconciliation as well. In my opinion, that’s just as essential if not more.
UPDATE: Here’s a few more tweets from Mattingly:
to add: the big issue for leadership has been the view that if EHB language was included, and found non-compliant, whole bill would die
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 22, 2017
Now they believe if it's found to be non-compliant, the overall bill would still stand/still take 51 for passage
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) March 22, 2017