Ted Cruz's plan to save the Senate healthcare bill is gaining steam — but it might not fix Republicans' biggest problem

Cruz's plan, which is also supported by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, proposes to change the type of insurance plans that could be offered under the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA).

The plan has drawn widespread praise in conservative circles over the past several days. But even if it brings Cruz and fellow conservative-leaning senators on board, it may turn away more moderate members of the caucus.

Given that political reality, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday suggested that Republicans might have to work with Democrats to solve healthcare.

Cruz's solution does, however, have backing from President Donald Trump's White House.

A recipe for instability

The Cruz plan would allow insurers to offer plans in the individual insurance market that do not adhere to two major regulations imposed under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as long as they offer one that does.

So-called essential health benefits (EHBs) require insurers to

A growing number of fans

The proposed Cruz amendment has begun to gather praise from lawmakers and outside groups on the right flank of the Republican Party.

For one thing, conservative holdouts in the Senate appear to be supportive of the plan. Lee has advocated for the amendment and has made its addition a virtual deal-breaker for his vote.

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The traction around the amendment was enough, however, to prompt Republican leadership to send the bill to the Congressional Budget Office to be scored, alongside another tweaked version of the bill without the amendment.

It may also clear a way for the Senate's bill to pass the House. Upon the BRCA's release, reports suggested that House GOP leadership would be open to passing the Senate's version of a bill as it stood. But conservatives in the chamber, such as the House Freedom Caucus, brushed back at that plan.

The Cruz amendment could change that since it resembles amendments that won over House conservatives during the production of the American Health Care Act, the House's legislation, in May. According to a source close to the Freedom Caucus, the Senate bill with a Cruz-like amendment could garner the support of the key conservative group.

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Victory? Thats no guarantee

Cruz's plan changes the political calculus for the bill. But so far, it's unclear if it could get Republicans the 50-vote threshold they need to pass the legislation.

The key holdup would likely be moderates in the Republican conference. Those that already oppose the bill, like Sen. Susan Collins and Dean Heller, would be unlikely to come on board since they are concerned about some of what the BCRA already proposes to do to change certain features of Obamacare.

The amendment may also lose uncommitted GOP senators, like Louisiana's Bill Cassidy.

Cassidy has said that any plan must adhere to the "Kimmel Test." The barometer, named after late night host Jimmy Kimmel, stipulates that any Republican bill must preserve all protections for people with preexisting conditions. Given the Cruz amendment's proposed changes, it would likely not qualify.

While moderate GOP senators are the most important point of opposition for Republican leaders, the proposed changes to the insurance market that would occur under the Cruz plan drew the ire of Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted the amendment in a statement on Thursday, saying it would raise out-of-pocket costs and harm people with preexisting conditions.

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The Senate reconvenes next week after its July 4 recess, but a vote on the healthcare bill is not expected right away.

Ted Cruz's plan to save the Senate healthcare bill is gaining steam — but it might not fix Republicans' biggest problem

A recipe for instability

A growing number of fans

Victory? Thats no guarantee

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