Alexander-Murray Bill Would Reduce Deficit By Nearly $4B, Have Little Effect On Number Of Insured
The projections from the Congressional Budget Office bolster the bill's chances, said authors Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). But President Donald Trump has sent mixed messages about the legislation, and Republican leaders are waiting him to come down in favor of the measure. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan said that health care is something that should be looked at next year, instead of in the remaining months of this one.
The Wall Street Journal:
Bipartisan Senate Health Bill Would Reduce Deficit By About $4 Billion Over Decade
A bipartisan Senate health bill would reduce the deficit by almost $4 billion over the next decade without significantly affecting the number of people who have coverage, the Congressional Budget Office found in a report released Wednesday. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D., Wash.), the bill’s co-sponsors, said the findings strongly bolster the case for their legislation. But a standoff between the White House, which wants more provisions to undo the Affordable Care Act, and Democrats, who reject such provisions, has left the measure stalled for now, with no clear path forward. (Armour and Peterson, 10/25)
Modern Healthcare:
CBO: Bipartisan Bill To Stabilize Insurance Would Reduce Budget Deficit
Passing the Alexander-Murray bill actually would reduce the budget deficit because insurers—which have already set their 2018 premiums higher due to uncertainty about CSR funding—would have to rebate excess revenue to the government. Those rebates would total an estimated $3.1 billion from 2018 through 2027, the CBO said. But the bill's fate is in doubt after Trump and some Republican senators insisted that any package that funded the CSRs also include conservative provisions Democrats are almost certain to reject. (Meyer, 10/25)
Bloomberg:
Bipartisan Obamacare Bill Saves Little Money On Technicality
“If CSRs are not paid, premiums in 2018 will go up an average of 20 percent, the federal debt will increase by $194 billion over ten years, due to the extra cost of subsidies to pay the higher premiums, and up to 16 million Americans may live in counties where they are not able to buy any insurance in the individual market,” Alexander and Murray said in a joint statement shortly after the CBO released its report. (Tracer and Wasson, 10/25)
Reuters:
U.S. Lawmakers Will Not Tackle Healthcare This Year, Ryan Says
Republican lawmakers will not take up a bipartisan plan to stabilize Obamacare insurance markets or try again to repeal and replace the law this year, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Wednesday, signaling his party was shelving the matter until the 2018 U.S. congressional election year. ... "I think that is something we should do next year," Ryan said in an interview with Reuters when asked about prospects of the House passing a bipartisan bill that would reinstate federal subsidies to private insurers to help lower-income people buy medical coverage through the Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare. (Chiacu, Cowan, Brice and Abutaleb, 10/25)
The Associated Press:
Premiums Rising 34 Percent For Most Popular Health Plan
Premiums for the most popular "Obamacare" plans are going up an average of 34 percent, according to a study Wednesday that confirms dire predictions about the impact of political turmoil on consumers. Window-shopping on HealthCare.gov went live Wednesday, so across the country consumers going online can see the consequences themselves ahead of the Nov. 1 start of sign-up season for 2018. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
Some Affordable Care Act Premiums Set To Jump For 2018
Some consumers who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges next year will face sharp premium increases and have fewer insurer options, though federal premium subsidies mean that others will be able to get cheaper coverage. The federal HealthCare.gov website posted new details Wednesday about what plans will be available for 2018 under the health law. Open enrollment starts on Nov. 1. (Wilde Mathews, 10/25)
The Hill:
Democrats Introduce Public Option Health Care Bill
Congressional Democrats are introducing legislation to allow states to set up a public option for health-care insurance. The legislation, spearheaded by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M), is the latest idea from Democrats as the party tries to plot its next steps after blocking the GOP effort to repeal and replace ObamaCare. (Carney, 10/25)