After failure in the Senate, House GOP has its own health care proposal : NPR

After the Senate failed to advance health care spending bills this week, House Republicans released proposed legislation late Friday that would not extend the Affordable Care Act's expanded tax subsidies but would make other changes that party leaders say will improve Americans' access to health care.

Time is running out for Congress to take action. Once subsidies for Americans purchasing health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expire, at the end of the yearmillions of Americans' bonuses will skyrocket.

Democrats are pushing to extend these expanded tax breaks to prevent doubling or more.

Expanded subsidies began in 2021 to make ACA marketplace plans more affordable for more Americans. The market originated from the health care overhaul that President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010 and which Republicans have long criticized.

House members have just four days left in session before recess begins on Dec. 19. The Senate recess will begin on December 20.

House Republicans' proposal Friday includes measures that would allow small businesses to band together to buy insurance plans for their employees and impose new requirements on pharmacy benefit managers to lower drug costs.

Beginning in 2027, federal payments known as cost-sharing reduction payments will be aimed at lowering insurance premiums for some low-income Americans. Health insurance plans that provide coverage for abortions will be excluded.

A vote on the package is expected next week, House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

“House Republicans are addressing the real drivers of health care costs to ensure affordable health care, expand access and choice, and restore the integrity of our nation's health care system for all Americans,” Johnson said in a statement. statement.

Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the proposal Saturday.

“Mike Johnson just released a toxic Republican health care plan that is hurting everyday Americans,” Jeffries wrote on X. “He fails to extend the ACA tax breaks that are set to expire this month. And this is an extremely frivolous proposal.”

A proposal in the Senate put forward by Democrats to extend subsidies for ACA plans for three years was joined by a handful of Republicans, but failed to pass this week, as well as a separate plan with support from Senate Republicans. Both bills failed to gain enough support to pass the House's effective 60-vote threshold.

President Trump favors giving people money to pay for health care costs instead of tax breaks under ACA plans.

“I want billions of dollars to go to the people, not the insurance companies,” Trump said late Friday during an event at the White House. “And I want people to go out and get great health care.”

The Senate Republican plan included a proposal to give people up to $1,500 in Health Savings Accounts for Americans earning less than 700% of the federal poverty level, but the House Republican proposal does not include that language.

Under the Senate GOP proposal, savings accounts that cannot be used to pay insurance premiums would be combined with high-deductible insurance plans. The average deductible for these health insurance plans is around $7,000. According to an analysis by KFF, a health policy organization.

Democrats opposed the GOP bill in the Senate, arguing it would not help Americans pay health care premiums. They also objected to language that would place restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming care.

Meanwhile, some Republicans warned that the end ACA subsidies could cost their party the midterm elections, citing concerned messages from their constituents. Row Republicans in the House of Representatives are looking for ways to extend the subsidies, including pushing for a House vote over the objections of party leaders.