House GOP slaps down ACA subsidies as ‘Lower Health Care Premiums Act’ moves to Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution aimed at controlling health insurance premiums—but despite a last-ditch effort by a bipartisan coalition of moderates to see them extended, Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits are not part of the plan.
The “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act,” as it’s being called, has officially advanced to the Senate with 216-211 majority support. All Democrats voted against it. Despite the kerfuffle earlier in the day from GOP members of the House pushing to renew ACA subsidies, only two ended up voting against this new bill: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH).
Revealed last week, the act that passed contains some reforms, including new reporting requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to better monitor their business practices, as well as a cost-sharing program that would reduce the cost of insurance premiums for low-income Americans.
The heart of the bill is support for association health plans—which is when small businesses and individual buyers band together to negotiate a group rate that’s lower than commercial price tags. The proposed law would remove certain geographical barriers in an effort to support the concept.
This may all be moot, however, as the proposal still faces the Senate, where it would need support from Democratic lawmakers before it reaches President Donald Trump's desk. Without the expanded ACA subsidies in place, the GOP faces an uphill battle as lower costs for Americans directly have been a red line for the opposition party.
The expanded subsidies were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, designed to allow as many Americans to access affordable medical coverage as possible through HealthCare.gov and state-run markets, where people who do not receive affordable insurance through their employer can buy plans directly.
Those will officially expire on Dec. 31, as the rebellion in the House was effectively the last chance to restore them.
Quick vote halted by slim margin
Despite some Republican support, the brief uprising to force Speaker Mike Johnson to put an extension up for a vote was quelled 204-203. A single “nay” put an end to the emergency attempt to bring a three-year renewal to the floor of the House.
A similar measure in the Senate has also failed. The Senate will review and vote on the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act in the coming days.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.