Party
divides
are
becoming
wider
and
wider
as
the
Senate
rejected
two
healthcare
bills
focused
on
the
Affordable
Care
Act
on
Thursday,
drawing
criticism
from
several
healthcare
organizations.
One
was
a
Democratic
bill
that
would
have
extended
ACA
enhanced
premium
tax
credits
for
three
years.
The
subsidies
have
lowered
premiums
for
those
receiving
healthcare
on
the
marketplaces
and
are
set
to
expire
at
the
end
of
the
year.
It’s
estimated
that
if
the
tax
credits
expire,
ACA
Marketplace
premiums
will
more
than
double
on
average
next
year.
The
other
was
a
Republican
bill
that
would
not
have
extended
the
subsidies,
but
instead
would
have
provided
up
to
$1,500
a
year
in
payments
for
health
savings
accounts
for
those
making
less
than
700%
of
the
federal
poverty
level.
However,
this
money
could
not
have
been
used
on
premiums.
The
bills
needed
at
least
60
votes
to
pass,
but
both
received
votes
of
51-48.
Republican
Senators
Susan
Collins
(Maine),
Josh
Hawley
(Missouri),
Lisa
Murkowski
(Alaska)
and
Dan
Sullivan
(Alaska)
voted
in
favor
of
the
Democratic
bill.
No
Democrats
voted
in
support
of
the
Republican
bill,
and
Senator
Rand
Paul
(Kentucky)
was
the
only
Republican
to
oppose
this
bill.
Families
USA,
a
patient
advocacy
organization,
condemned
the
Senate’s
vote.
“Today’s
Senate
vote
to
reject
the
extension
of
premium
tax
credits
will
have
devastating,
immediate
consequences
for
the
health
and
finances
of
families
across
the
country,
and
that
will
reverberate
throughout
the
health
care
system
we
all
rely
on,”
said
Anthony
Wright,
executive
director
of
Families
USA,
in
a
statement.
“Just
days
away
from
the
deadline
for
Americans
to
sign
up
for
coverage
that
starts
January
1,
senators
decided
to
let
premiums
double
or
more
for
22
million
Americans
who
rely
on
these
premium
tax
credits
to
make
coverage
affordable.”
The
organization
also
called
on
the
House
to
step
up
to
extend
the
tax
credits,
though
there’s
currently
no
consensus
on
a
plan
in
the
House
yet.
The
Association
for
Community
Affiliated
Plans
(ACAP)
echoed
these
comments.
“Families
deserve
a
workable
answer
to
skyrocketing
premium
costs,”
said
Margaret
A.
Murray,
CEO
of
ACAP.
“Sound
bites
aren’t
helpful—policy
solutions
are.
These
enhanced
tax
credits
offered
to
families
who
rely
on
Marketplace
coverage
have
been
a
wildly
successful
way
to
help
make
coverage
affordable.
Simply
allowing
subsidies
to
lapse
is
a
way
to
willfully
shoot
costs
skyward
for
millions
of
families.
This
moment
demands
policy
solutions
that
will
help
working-
and
middle-class
families
this
holiday
season,
not
split-screen
messaging
efforts.”
Community
Catalyst,
an
organization
focused
on
race
equity
and
health
justice,
also
came
out
against
the
vote,
stating
that
the
Senate’s
inaction,
combined
with
the
One
Big
Beautiful
Bill,
will
severely
harm
access
to
care.
“We
know
who
will
bear
the
brunt:
Black,
Latinx,
immigrant,
and
low-income
families,
who
already
face
the
steepest
affordability
barriers
because
decades
of
policy
decisions
have
limited
wages,
wealth,
and
access
to
stable,
affordable
coverage,”
said
Michelle
Sternthal,
director
of
government
affairs
at
Community
Catalyst.
“If
Republicans
were
serious
about
lowering
costs,
they
would
immediately
pass
a
permanent,
clean
extension
of
these
tax
credits
and
repeal
the
dangerous
health
care
cuts
in
H.R.
1.”
Photo:
MikeyLPT,
Getty
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