Must-Read: Tierney Sneed: 5 Points On The Brutal CBO Score Senate Republicans Must Overcome

Must-Read: Tierney Sneed: 5 Points On The Brutal CBO Score Senate Republicans Must Overcome: “The new score offers Senate GOPers nowhere to hide… http://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/senate-repeal-bill-cbo-score-politics

…It certainly doesn’t make the Senate bill “far superior,” as Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a key vote for leadership, promised…. The Medicaid numbers look bad for moderates…. Even the premium decreases aren’t an entirely happy story…. The lower premiums are largely just a result of shifting towards plans with higher out-of-pocket costs…. Rural areas are still a challenge under the Senate bill…. The Senate bill doesn’t grapple with the underlying issues that make rural regions low-competitive areas for insurers, and the less generous tax credits stand to only exacerbate the problem. This section should catch the attention of Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)…. GOP leaders have $200 billion to play with in their final round of deal-cutting… and still hit the $119 billion savings target of the House bill that makes their legislation eligible for reconciliation…