Republican senators are considering whether to let states allow insurers to charge sick people more money for healthcare coverage.
Senate leadership is aiming to reach consensus on healthcare legislation and vote on the bill by the end of July. Top senators said that waivers to let states opt out of a requirement called community rating are still being discussed, despite initial reports that the waivers wouldn't include that option.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday that community rating is still under discussion.
"There are still conversations about it," he said. "What we are gonna do with this is try to find a consensus."
A community rating is a mandate that forces an insurer to charge the same rate for an age group and can't take into account a person's health history when setting rates. It ensures that people with pre-existing conditions aren't hit with exorbitant prices.