Bill Cassidy: Republican health care bill should pass once concerns are addressed

Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday that if the concerns of the senators are addressed then the Republican health care bill should pass.

“I don’t have a whip count. There are different senators that have concerns. That said, I do think this is a good beginning. And if the concerns that I have, and others have, are addressed, I think it will pass and I think that will be good for the United States of America,” Mr. Cassidy, Louisiana Republican, said.

Mr. Cassidy said he has not decided whether to vote for the bill, but did say if the debate extends beyond the July 4 recess that he would be okay with that.

“I think some of the reforms are great. I have not yet decided whether to vote for the bill, but I can tell you it puts it on a path that’s good for the patient, for the state taxpayer and the federal taxpayer, and that’s a good thing,” he said.

Mr. Cassidy said that Obamacare may have had more “bells and whistles,” but since most people couldn’t afford it, the content of the policy didn’t matter.

“The Obamacare had bells and whistles on all their policies. The essential health benefits that are a small portion of the costs, but that said there’s a lot of things mandated that people just can’t afford. And so when you’re paying $20,000, $30,000 or $40,000 for a premium, it doesn’t matter what’s in the policy if you can’t afford the policy,” he said.