The United States Senate is set to vote on Thursday (11 December) on a Republican-backed plan aimed at addressing expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced on Tuesday.
The proposal, introduced by Republican Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mike Crapo of Idaho, is designed to make health insurance premiums more affordable for Americans as key ACA support measures approach expiration.
“It actually does make health insurance premiums more affordable,” Thune said, highlighting the plan’s goal of easing costs for policyholders.
The bill would authorise up to $1,500 for health savings accounts for individuals earning less than 700% of the federal poverty level. It also would bar the funds from being used for abortion or "gender transition services," according to a summary released by the two senators.
They said the measure also would lower insurance premiums by 11% in 2027 and reduce federal Medicaid funding to states that provide healthcare coverage to "illegal immigrants."
The bill's $1,500 payment is meant to cover deductible costs for lower-priced Obamacare plans, although it is far below those deductibles and could leave patients on the hook for up to $7,500 in out-of-pocket expenses before their insurance kicks in. Medical expenses can add up quickly, with a visit to a U.S. emergency room costing between $1,000 and $3,000.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the Republican bill, calling it "junk insurance," while Republicans have criticised the high cost of Democrats' proposed extension of the existing subsidy and say it has contributed to rising healthcare costs.
At the moment, Congress is struggling to address a fast-approaching surge in health insurance premiums for up to 24 million Americans. The COVID-era subsidies, which help to offset premium costs for the plans, also known as Obamacare, are set to expire at year end and millions rely on the programme.
Democrats have continued to push for a three-year extension of expiring ACA subsidies, while Thune said he will present a bill to replace those subsidies with direct payments to individuals. Democrats have criticised those payments as insufficient, and neither approach is expected to get enough support to pass.
On Monday, President Donald Trump embraced the Cassidy-Crapo approach, backing the payment of federal funds directly to individuals instead of to insurers, as provided by the Obamacare subsidy.
The vote comes amid ongoing debates over healthcare affordability and the future of the ACA, with lawmakers exploring different approaches to maintain coverage for millions of Americans while managing federal spending.
Senators on both sides of the aisle will weigh the proposal in the coming days, with the outcome expected to shape the nation’s healthcare landscape and determine the extent to which subsidies continue to support those relying on ACA plans.
A Russian overnight attack on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region left more than 600,000 people without electricit...
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khan...
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles f...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Two people, including a child, were killed and 16 others injured when an intercity bus crashed in eastern France on Friday morning, authorities confirmed.
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, 7 November, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings, just three days before U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
India's delivery of guided Pinaka rockets to Armenia is drawing renewed attention as analysts assess the military and strategic significance of one of New Delhi's most prominent defence export deals.
New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party has taken a narrow lead over the opposition Labour Party in Saturday’s general election, with the country’s current three-party coalition projected to retain power.
A Russian overnight attack on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region left more than 600,000 people without electricity on Sunday, 8 November, Ukrainian energy company DTEK said.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Prosecutors in Paraguay have charged former President Santiago Peña and ex-central bank chief Carlos Carvallo Spalding over the collapse of Ueno Bank, and have asked a court to hold both men in pretrial detention.
Paraguay’s Vice President Pedro Alliana has assumed the presidency after the Senate impeached and ousted Santiago Peña amid a banking crisis that sparked widespread political backlash.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment