Senate Republicans Unveil Mediocre Health Care Bill
Rising premiums for insurance provided through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have been a hot-button issue throughout the year. The federal government was shut down for over a month as Senate Democrats refused to vote on a spending bill that didn’t include provisions to extend COVID-era subsidies that lowered premiums.
Democrats ultimately folded and voted for a bill that reopened the government without a deal in place to extend the subsidies. After staunchly opposing extending subsidies, Senate Republicans have unveiled a health care bill that does little to address affordability.
According to ABC News, the plan was introduced on Monday by Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo. The bill would eliminate the tax credits and instead put the money into health savings accounts (HSAs) for those who purchase bronze-level insurance through the ACA. The bill would put $1,000 into HSAs for 18-49-year-olds making less than 300% of the federal poverty level, and $1,500 for people age 50-64.
Do they know how expensive the American health care system is? Instead of making the more comprehensive plans affordable, they’re instead giving pocket change to people who can only afford the crappiest plans.
Senate Republicans say the bill would lower premiums by 11%. That’s already an insignificant decrease, compounded by the fact that those who received subsidized insurance have seen their monthly premium payments increase by 114% on average. The Republican plan would also prevent people from using their insurance for gender-affirming care or abortions.
I love the party of small government telling people how they can spend money.
The Democrats’ bill is a simple, three-year extension of the subsidies. “Democrats have put forward the cleanest, fastest, most realistic solution: a three-year extension of the current tax credits. No gimmicks, no poison pills,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced Tuesday that votes will be held on both the Republican and Democratic proposals, though neither is expected to cross the 60-vote threshold needed to pass. Thune has been critical of the Democrats’ health care bill.
“There is no income limit, there are $0 premiums. There are millions of Americans who don’t even know they have coverage; they have decided not to do anything — zero, zero reforms to this program, and so the bill that they are going to put on the floor will fail,” Thune told reporters.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it’s baffling that a party with such a narrow grip on power is refusing to take meaningful action against one of the most significant issues facing the American people. The GOP is acting like it doesn’t have a single-digit majority in the House and a deeply unpopular president. Over the last two months, elections in Virginia, California, New York, and Tennessee have all given Democrats momentum going into next year’s midterms. Miami, which has long been a Republican stronghold, just elected its first Democratic mayor in over 30 years.
The fact that they’re out here saying $0 premiums are a negative at a time when layoffs are reaching levels not seen since the Great Recession, and people are struggling to afford simply putting food on the table, is insane. Personally, I’d rather my tax dollars go toward making sure families can afford comprehensive health care instead of bankrolling ICE’s transformation into the bootleg Gestapo.
It’s clear that the ACA and the American health care system at large require serious reforms. While neither plan does that, at least the Democrats’ proposal provides much-needed financial relief at a time when people really need it. Which is precisely why the GOP isn’t going to vote for it. I hope everyone remembers this come next year’s midterms.
SEE ALSO:
ACA Open Enrollment Reveals Increase In Monthly Premiums
Affordable Care Act Insurance Could Be 75% More Expensive Next Year
