Trending News Today: Affordable Care Act Repeal Imminent

President Barack Obama is attempting to persuade the Republican-led Congress to hold off on repealing major parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) until there is a definitive replacement plan. Obama has called the repeal now, replace later plan “reckless” and “irresponsible” in an article published by the New England Journal of Medicine. He also urges individuals who have benefited from the ACA to speak up, and advocate for the positive aspects of the legislation, Kaiser Health News reported.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently said the Senate will be initiating steps towards repealing the ACA by the end of this week, according to The New York Times. He has even predicted that replacing the law will come soon after the repeal, with a limited gap. However, there has not been a timeline set, so what GOP lawmakers consider timely may not be the reality.

Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) recently started efforts to expand Medicaid, despite the looming ACA repeal that would likely undo these actions. Expanding Medicaid would provide health coverage for a more expansive amount of individuals, and reduce the uninsured rate even further. However, Republican leaders of the General Assembly have requested that the federal government reject this request, The New York Times reported.