House Republican leadership revealed its plan on Friday evening to tackle healthcare and insurance costs next week, borrowing heavily from previously written bills.
The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act takes on a buffet-style approach, including proposals and policies that have received votes in the House in the past and had bipartisan support, House GOP leadership aides told reporters. It comes as the Obamacare subsidies for millions of people are set to expire, with a bipartisan push in the House to renew them fracturing the GOP conference.
The healthcare bill unveiled Friday will codify association health plans, a plan that allows multiple employers to band together to buy insurance at group rates, and so-called CHOICE accounts, which allow employees to use pretax dollars to purchase their own health insurance.
The former’s framework is similar to a bill proposed by House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI), and the latter’s comes from a bill pending in the Ways and Means Committee, written by Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK). Hern’s bill passed the House in 2023 but never passed the Senate.
Funds will also be appropriated to pay for “cost-sharing reductions” in Obamacare, with the goal of reducing the cost of premiums by 11%. Price transparency for pharmacy benefit managers, companies that negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurers, will also be included.
Under the bill, small businesses funding their own health plans would be able to purchase “stop-loss” policies, which would protect them from going bankrupt from expensive insurance claims.
That language comes from the Self-Insurance Protection Act, written by Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO).
House Republicans revealed 10 possible plans of action to address healthcare at their conference meeting on Tuesday, which included the associated health plans, CHOICE accounts, PBM reforms, and cost-sharing reductions.
Notably not included in leadership’s legislation is an extension of the Obamacare subsidies. Centrist Republicans have been pushing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to hold a vote on the subsidies, of which there are two competing, bipartisan proposals. But leadership and conservatives on the right are staunchly opposed to any extension.
