Trending News Today: Single-Payer Legislation Stalls in California

Under the Senate-proposed Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacement plan, there would be significant cuts to Medicaid, much like the House bill. While there have been questions about how the cuts would affect low-income patients, there has been little discussion about how it would impact older Americans living in nursing homes, according to Kaiser Health News. States are required to cover nursing home care under Medicaid, but they can choose how much to fund. Currently, Medicaid pays for two-thirds of the 1.4 million elderly patients receiving nursing home care, which could be threatened under the proposed legislation, Kaiser reported.

Single-payer legislation that recently passed in the California Senate was halted over the uncertainty of the future of healthcare, according to California Healthline. Under the legislation, California residents would receive care from healthcare professionals who have signed contracts with the state. Despite passing in the Senate, Assembly legislators decided to table the bill citing its incompleteness and the recently proposed ACA replacement plan, according to the article. The bill may be reintroduced in 2018.

Regardless of the several hurdles the Senate ACA replacement plan must overcome, many entities have begun speculating how it could affect the healthcare for various populations. While the needs of states vary greatly, many Americans have issued negative opinions of the legislation in interviews and articles, The New York Times reported. However, the bill still can be amended to ease the concerns of voters and gain support.