The biggest item on the agenda this week is continued discussion of the expiring enhanced advanced premium tax credits (APTCs). As part of the deal to reopen the government last month, Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) committed to giving Democrats a floor vote on a bill of their choosing to extend the enhanced APTCs. They’re aligned with House Democrats and will offer a clean three-year extension of the enhanced APTCs. That vote is scheduled for Thursday, and no one expects it to meet the required 60 votes for passage. In fact, it is unlikely to get any Republican votes at all.
Meanwhile, congressional Republicans remain split on what to do about the rising cost of healthcare. Over the weekend, additional proposals were floated, including one from Sens. Moreno (R-OH) and Collins (R-ME) to provide a two-year extension of the enhanced APTCs plus a phased-in income cap and required monthly premium. Sen. Cassidy (R-LA) supports a proposal to encourage people to purchase cheaper bronze plans and provide the previous enhanced APTC funds via a health savings account. A bipartisan group of 35 House members just announced a plan to extend the enhanced APTCs for two years with an income cap and protections to prevent fraud.
Without buy-in from Republican leadership on any of these varying proposals, it seems unlikely that Republicans will be able to coalesce around one healthcare package this week and bring it to either the House or Senate floor for a vote. House Republicans could be aiming for something on the House floor next week, as House Speaker Johnson (R-LA) said he wants a vote on a healthcare package before the end of the year. We will see if Congress continues to grapple with this issue in January, when solutions become more difficult as the coverage year will have already begun.
Discussions on APTCs and healthcare affordability will continue at the committee level this week as well, including at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, House Oversight, and House Judiciary Committees. Additional events this week include a potential House Ways and Means Committee markup, which could include consideration of physician payment legislation, and a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the organ procurement and transplantation network. The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission will hold its first post-shutdown meeting, with scheduled discussion on work requirements implementation, coverage for children and youth with special healthcare needs, and managed care accountability.
In this week’s Healthcare Preview podcast, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Erin Fuller to discuss what Congress is up to this week amidst ongoing debates to address the soon-to-be expiring enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credits.
