Source:- Human Rights Watch
In the last few days before Congress goes on vacation for the holidays, lawmakers in Washington are working hard to keep health care costs from going up. This is because enhanced tax credits that help millions of Americans pay for health insurance will end at the end of the month. Since talks have stalled and the parties are at odds, it's still unclear if lawmakers will be able to pass meaningful relief before they leave town.
The Health Insurance Subsidies that are about to end were put in place during the Covid-19
pandemic and made insurance much cheaper for people who bought it through the
Affordable Care Act marketplaces. If they don't get fixed, millions of
enrollees could see their premiums go up sharply starting next year. This makes
an already busy legislative calendar even more urgent.
The House of Representatives is now the focus after the Senate couldn't move
forward with health care proposals from both Democrats and Republicans last
week. Speaker Mike Johnson has promised that a health care bill supported by
Republicans will be voted on this week. The law has parts that will lower
premiums for some people who are enrolled in the Affordable Care Act by
expanding cost-sharing reduction programs. However, it does not extend the
pandemic-era tax credits that are about to run out.
Republican leaders are also likely to let a floor amendment that would extend
the ACA Health Insurance Subsidies go through. This is because moderate lawmakers in competitive
districts are putting pressure on them to do so. Pennsylvania Representative
Brian Fitzpatrick and other Republicans from swing states have tried to force a
vote on the extension, saying that not acting would leave their constituents
facing premium hikes that they couldn't afford.
Even with these efforts, it looks like the legislative path to passing even a
short-term extension before both chambers leave Washington on Friday is not
very promising. The House is still very divided, and any bill that passes there
would still have a hard time in the Senate, where recent votes show how hard it
is to get both parties to agree.
Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, has spoken out against the
Republican plan's narrow focus, which suggests that Democrats won't support it
very much. While most Democrats want to keep the ACA tax credits going,
Jeffries hasn't said whether his party would support procedural moves to force
votes on bipartisan measures that could push the issue into the new year with
possible changes.
The Senate is an even bigger problem. Last week, lawmakers couldn't get the 60
votes they needed to move forward with several health care bills, including a
Democratic plan to extend the ACA subsidies for three years. That loss brought
attention to the long-standing disagreement about the best way to make US
health care more affordable.
The White House's position makes things even more difficult. President Donald
Trump has made it clear that he would rather give federal help directly to
patients through health savings accounts (HSAs) than expand subsidies linked to
insurance marketplaces. That approach is more in line with Republican plans for
consumer-directed health care, but Democrats still disagree on it.
Some lawmakers are still cautiously hopeful that a compromise could be reached.
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana who leads a key Senate health
committee, said on Sunday that it is still possible for both parties to agree,
even if it happens at the last minute. Cassidy said on CNN's State of the Union
that Congress could use parts of both parties' plans to help people right away.
"Republicans have said that we should give the patient money so she can
pay for things out of her own pocket." Cassidy said, "Democrats are
saying, 'Let's do something about premiums.'" "I believe a deal can
be reached. Why not do both?
Last week, the Senate turned down Cassidy's own plan, which focused on direct
payments into HSAs but did not include an extension of ACA subsidies. Still,
his comments show that lawmakers are starting to realize that doing nothing
could mean millions of Americans will have to pay more at a time when inflation
and medical costs are major concerns for voters.
As Congress rushes to end its session, it's still unclear what will happen to
the subsidies that are about to run out. If lawmakers don't act, better tax
credits will end at the end of the month. This could change the health
insurance landscape and put more pressure on lawmakers when they come back in
the new year.
Also Read :- World Care Magazine For more information