Several associations representing health care providers have diagnosed the House Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act and have given it a poor bill of health.

The GOP plan unveiled Monday would preserve popular aspects of "Obamacare," such as the ban on using preexisting conditions to deny insurance coverage, while also making substantial changes. Among its many provisions, the proposed law would replace subsidies with tax breaks to help consumers pay for insurance and turn Medicaid into a block grant program for states.

House Republicans have pushed the legislation forward without the usual analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, which could provide cost and coverage estimates. In a statement, the American Hospital Association said lawmakers should wait until a review is conducted before pushing forward.

"We believe the legislation needs to be reviewed through this lens, and carefully evaluated regarding its impact on both individuals and the ability of hospitals and health systems, which are the backbone of the nation's health care safety net, in terms of our ability to care for all of those who walk through our doors," AHA CEO Rick Pollack said. http://bit.ly/2n6g6Zx

AHA was even less enthusiastic about the likely reductions in Medicaid spending that would accompany the law. Also critical of the cuts was Mark Parkinson, CEO of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, two groups that represent nursing home and assisted living facilities.

"The current Medicaid system underfunds nursing center care by $22.46 per day, resulting in a shortfall of nearly $7 billion annually," Parkinson said. "The bill released yesterday will sharply reduce Medicaid funds across the board for all beneficiaries, making it harder than ever to maintain access to care for the most vulnerable in our society."

The American Medical Association announced it would not support the replacement plan. The group said the legislation would limit states' ability to respond to changes in service demands and threaten coverage for people with low incomes.

"We physicians often see patients at their most vulnerable, from the first time they set eyes on a newborn child to the last time they squeeze a dying loved one's hand," said Andrew Gurman, AMA's elected president. "We don't want to see any of our patients, now insured, exposed to the financial and medical uncertainties that would come with losing that coverage." http://bit.ly/2miYYzP

The Federation of American Hospitals also has "significant issues" with the replacement plan, Bloomberg reported.

"We want to make sure that whatever comes out of this change really supports particularly those low-income Americans, who frankly don't have the resources to afford coverage," FAH CEO Chip Kahn said. http://bloom.bg/2m2EKJV

MORE CEO DATELINE

• Airlines group launches campaign to attract workers to industry
• Associations raise concerns about new travel ban
• Trade group seeks to save independent college bookstores
• Judge throws out association lawsuit against Dr. Oz
• Associations welcome fiduciary rule delay