On May 4, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Health Care Act. President Trump said he felt “so confident” it would pass the Senate and be signed into law.
But the bill faces “profound uncertainty” in the Senate, where it’s likely to face major changes and a significant delay. After all, re-election for a third of the Senate is just 18 months away and, with 10 seats at risk for Republicans, many senators don’t want to touch health care. It’s a political minefield.
The debate surrounding the House bill centers on how it handles pre-existing conditions, whether it will leave 24 million Americans without insurance, and what it will do to Medicaid. The American Medical Association says it has critical flaws, while other health company executives are calling it a “debacle.”
At The Gospel Coalition’s National Conference last month, Bob Cutillo, medical doctor and author of Pursuing Health in an Anxious Age [foreword by Andy Crouch | review | interview | excerpt], discussed health care and our modern view of the body—its beauty, strength, imperfections, and vulnerabilities. Although he didn’t specifically discuss the House bill, he offered three “signposts” composing a helpful framework by which we can approach our pursuit of health and wellbeing.
