• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

Obamacare vs. the AHCA: How the 2 Health Care Votes Compare

Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 24, 2017, 12:25 PM ET

The House of Representatives is expected to vote Friday on a bill to repeal chunks of the Affordable Care Act and replace it with the Republican alternative, the American Health Care Act.

The vote comes seven years and a day after President Barack Obama signed the prior law — often called Obamacare — into law. The two bills tackle the same subject, but their path to the House floor has been very different.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of how the votes compare.

The Affordable Care Act was debated far longer

House Democrats began unveiling drafts of the Affordable Care Act in June of 2009, introducing the revised measure that would ultimately pass on Oct. 29, 2009. The total process took nearly six months.

House Republicans unveiled the first draft of the American Health Care Act on March 6, introducing the revised measure on March 20. If the bill is voted on Friday, the total process will have taken 18 days.

The Affordable Care Act got a much better score from the Congressional Budget Office

The CBO report for the version of the Affordable Care Act that passed the House in 2009 estimated it would reduce the number of uninsured by 36 million and reduce the federal deficit by $104 billion over a decade.

The CBO report for the latest version of the American Health Care Act estimated it would increase the number of uninsured by 24 million and reduce the federal deficit by $150 million over a decade.

The Affordable Care Act was much longer

The version of the Affordable Care Act that passed the House of Representatives was 1,990 pages.

The latest version of the American Health Care Act is 126 pages.

Most Americans disapproved of both bills

A Quinnipiac University poll in December of 2009 found that 53% of American voters disapproved of the Affordable Care Act and 36% approved.

A Quinnipiac University poll in late March found that 56% of American voters disapproved of the American Health Care Act and 17% approved.

About the Author
Alana Abramson
By Alana Abramson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Have a strong brand in a world of noise—it’s like having the only red T-shirt in a stadium full of white ones
MagazineVolvo
Have a strong brand in a world of noise—it’s like having the only red T-shirt in a stadium full of white ones
By Kamal AhmedApril 2, 2026
1 hour ago
In the age of AI anxiety, the 100 Best Companies to Work For are betting on their people
NewslettersCEO Daily
In the age of AI anxiety, the 100 Best Companies to Work For are betting on their people
By Diane BradyApril 2, 2026
3 hours ago
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real EstateGen Z
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Sydney LakeApril 2, 2026
4 hours ago
Macquarie bets impact investing can fill an Asian financial access gap for the ‘missing middle’
AsiaAustralia
Macquarie bets impact investing can fill an Asian financial access gap for the ‘missing middle’
By Nicholas GordonApril 1, 2026
14 hours ago
jamie dimon
Workplace Culturereturn to office
Jamie Dimon, office-work champion, vows his anti-remote culture ‘would crush you.’ The economy’s top talent begs to differ
By Jake AngeloApril 1, 2026
16 hours ago
Ayesha and Stephen Curry
C-Suitephilanthropy
Warren Buffett revives his legendary charity lunch auction—this time with Stephen Curry. His last one raised $19 million
By Jacqueline MunisApril 1, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
22 hours ago
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
23 hours ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.