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Arizona Leaders React To 'Skinny Repeal' Defeat

By Will Stone, Kathy Ritchie
Published: Friday, July 28, 2017 - 3:50pm
Updated: Friday, July 28, 2017 - 3:51pm

Arizona Sen. John McCain sent shockwaves through the Senate early Friday morning when he cast the deciding vote rejecting the GOP's heath care effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The reaction among Arizona leaders has been more muted.

Gov. Doug Ducey says he is disappointed Congress was recessing without a health care solution. But he agreed with McCain that the proposed bill was not right for Arizona.

Congressman Paul Gosar used Twitter to express general frustration with the Senate's inaction. But he refrained from criticizing the 80-year-old ailing McCain.

Congressman David Schweikert told KJZZ he was surprised by McCain’s vote and said the Senate did not come through for the House.

Greg Vigdor was relieved when the effort to pass the so-called “skinny repeal” tanked after Sen. John McCain refused to back the measure. But the head of Arizona’s Hospital and Health Care Association isn’t necessarily happy with the status quo, either.

“And all we had was a moment in time where we stopped some bad ideas. Now we need to find the good ideas," said Vigdor.

Going forward, he hopes Congress can undertake reforms, for example lowering the cost of prescription drugs and provide more certainty.

“There are a number of hospitals that I know had plans to do something and they essentially put them on hold through this political conversation because it was a political conversation and not one really about health policy," he said.

Vigdor said the Trump administration could also commit to pay the cost sharing reductions that help low-income people afford insurance on the marketplace.

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