An estimated 14 million people would lose insurance coverage in 2018 under the new Republican healthcare plan, according to a budget analysis.

The long-awaited Republican plan was assessed by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan group of budget analysts and economists, reports the BBC.

The CBO said the added number uninsured would rise to 24 million by 2026.

The bill would reduce the federal deficits by $337bn over the 10-year period, the report found.

Those savings could help House Republicans sell the new legislation - known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA) - to some conservatives who remain sceptical about costs.

President Donald Trump has backed the plan, which would replace former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare bill, the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

BDST: 1235 HRS, MAR 14, 2017
SR