Speaker Mike Johnson got his health care bill through the House yesterday despite some intra-party maneuvering on the issue of enhanced Obamacare subsidies.
The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act includes five provisions aimed at lowering health insurance premiums. But it doesn’t extend the expiring enhanced subsidies for Obamacare.
Earlier, four Republicans broke ranks and joined Democrats in a discharge petition that will force a vote on a three-year extension of the subsidies.
That was after GOP leaders refused to allow a vote on a shorter extension coupled with an income cap and some anti-fraud measures.
The four were Pennsylvanians Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan, and Ryan Mackenzie, along with Mike Lawler of New York.
“This is not about politics. This is about addressing an issue that we both agree is a problem,” Lawler said, testifying before the House Rules Committee on Dec. 16.
That vote won’t take place before early January, after the subsidies expire. But Obamacare enrollment is open until Jan. 15.
The GOP bill is built on five provisions to reduce the cost of and broaden access to health insurance.
They include requiring greater transparency in prescription drug pricing, providing federal funding to reduce the co-payments and deductibles paid by some Obamacare customers, and making it easier for businesses that self-insure their employees to buy stop-loss insurance.
The bill would also make it easier for small employers and self-employed people to leverage the buying power of a larger organization by joining association health plans, and improve the ability of employers to contribute pre-tax funds for employees to purchase their own coverage.
“Obamacare premiums are up 80 percent since the program’s inception, with patients paying on average $5,000 out of their own pocket to hit their deductible,” Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) said during the debate.
Rep Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said the bill would push consumers to “junk” insurance plans. “Health insurance premiums are going to skyrocket for more than 20 million Americans across the country,” Pallone said.
Whatever the House does must be passed by the Senate, where a Republican plan to replace the subsidies with funded Health Savings Accounts failed a procedural vote last week.
However, four Republican Senators joined Democrats on Dec. 11 in voting for a three-year extension of the subsidies. That bill failed a procedural vote also, but some Republicans think it could pass if brought up again.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who voted for the three-year extension, told reporters yesterday that the discharge petition helps her cause.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was asked if the three-year extension would pass if the House forwarded it to them. “I hope so,” she said.
“I’m not personally opposed to subsidies,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told reporters on Dec. 17. “It’s just not the end-all deal, because if somebody does need a subsidy but they have a $6,000 deductible, they’re effectively not insured.”
Either way, there’ll probably be no action until January when Congress returns from its winter recess.
—Lawrence Wilson
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