Trending News Today: Legislators Continue to Squabble Over ACA Repeal

GOP lawmakers have been pushing for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since its implementation, but now this may become a reality. However, 5 Senate Republicans may be the key to slowing down the proposed repeal, according to Politco. These Senators recently introduced an amendment that would allow for additional time to repeal the health law, in hopes of formulating a clear replacement plan instead of the delayed dismantling suggested by the majority of Republican lawmakers.

Government health officials are now warning that the current ACA repeal strategy backed by GOP lawmakers may drastically increase the uninsured rate, and have significant effects on costs. Using the media to his advantage, President Barack Obama is trying to get the focus shifted to what happens after the repeal, and how much it will cost Americans rather than trying to stop the repeal, according to The Washington Post. Future health laws should be implemented only if they provide the same level of coverage to the same population covered under the ACA, said Sylvia Burwell, Health and Human Services secretary, in a recent interview.

A recent study found that up to 1 in 3 women with breast cancer that was detected by a mammogram receive unnecessary treatment for their slow-growing cancer, Kaiser Health News reported. These findings suggest that women who may not have needed treatment instead received surgery and chemotherapy, or radiation treatment, which likely caused significant side effects. While mammograms have saved lives via early diagnosis and treatment in certain patients, it has also caused over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment in others, the study found.