Talks on extending Obamacare subsidies in the Senate appear to be stalling, as President Donald Trump calls for the “Great Healthcare Plan” to go through Congress.
Enrollment for those who use Affordable Care Act plans ends Thursday in most of the country, as expired subsidies have led to higher premium costs. Many conservatives argue that this is evidence that the ACA was not a sustainable program in the first place.
The White House released a fact sheet on Thursday about Trump’s healthcare plan, which would include “price transparency” reforms and “send money directly to the American people, lower health insurance premiums, and cut kickbacks that raise insurance premiums.” The president’s proposal would also expand the list of “verified safe pharmaceutical drugs” that Americans can buy over the counter and include a “cost-sharing reduction program” for plans.
“The Great Healthcare Plan stops sending big insurance companies billions in extra taxpayer-funded subsidy payments and instead sends that money directly to eligible Americans to allow them to buy the health insurance of their choice,” the webpage states.
President Donald Trump said in a video on Thursday that it “will truly make healthcare affordable again.”
In the Senate, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said, “We’re still in the red zone” when it comes to the possibility of extending the subsidies for another two years while a longer-term plan is figured out, according to Punchbowl News. Politico reported that the actual language of a proposal might not be ready until after the Senate returns from its 10-day recess that began Thursday.
However, there have been serious splits regarding taxpayer dollars for abortions through the Hyde Amendment, along with the generally partisan divide on whether the subsidies should continue in the first place.
In December, Moreno and Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) went public with a two-year extension proposal, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has sought a three-year extension of the COVID-era subsidies.
“Barack Obama and the Democratic Party created this disaster, lining the pockets of massive insurance companies while healthcare costs for everyday Americans skyrocketed,” Moreno said in a statement last month. “But I refuse to let the American people pay the price for the Democrats’ incompetence. I am willing to work with anyone to finally bring down costs for all Americans and hope my colleagues across the aisle will commit to doing the same.”
According to Punchbowl News, the proposal could restore enrollment in March if a deal is reached in Congress.
In the House, a bill to extend ACA subsidies for the next three years passed last week, with Democrats and 17 Republicans passing the legislation in the Republican-led chamber after a successful discharge petition to forced a floor vote — but it seems unlikely to gain traction in the Senate.
“The House just decisively passed legislation that restores the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Over the objection of Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson. If you don’t know, now you know,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote on X after the vote.
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