Competing well being care plans failed to satisfy the 60-vote threshold within the Senate Thursday. With federal ACA subsidies set to run out, medical health insurance prices are anticipated to surge within the new yr.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Hundreds of thousands of Individuals who purchase medical health insurance on the Reasonably priced Care Act market will quickly must pay much more except Congress clinches a last-minute deal. Here is NPR’s Saige Miller.
SAIGE MILLER, BYLINE: Because the calendar inches nearer to January 1, Congress is at a stalemate on how you can handle well being care prices. Senate Republicans and Democrats each put forth competing well being care plans, however neither met the 60-vote threshold wanted to advance.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: On this vote, the yeas are 51, the nays are 48. Three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted within the affirmative, the movement is just not agreed to.
MILLER: The end result was anticipated. Democrats need a straight three-year extension of the Obamacare subsidies, however Republicans aren’t on board. Senate Majority Chief John Thune says a easy extension wouldn’t cope with fraud or taxpayers sending cash to insurance coverage firms by the subsidies.
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JOHN THUNE: The way in which that we predict this should work is you should provide you with a means in which you’ll be able to ship the profit to the sufferers and to not the insurance coverage firms.
MILLER: The GOP different would put some cash into well being financial savings accounts for Individuals on sure Obamacare plans. But it surely does not lengthen the subsidies, and the cash cannot be used to pay for well being care premiums. Chuck Schumer, the highest Democrat within the Senate, says the invoice was a nonstarter as a result of it does not handle rising well being care prices on the ACA exchanges.
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CHUCK SCHUMER: When households open their medical health insurance payments in January and see the sky-high premiums staring again at them, the American folks will know that Democrats fought to cease these hikes, however Republicans fought to ensure that they occur.
MILLER: The White Home responded to the failed votes on Thursday. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt advised reporters Republicans aren’t performed with the problem.
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KAROLINE LEAVITT: The president and Republicans will proceed to unveil inventive concepts and options to the well being care disaster that was created by Democrats.
MILLER: The battle on the Hill is not over both. Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise says the chamber is ready to vote on different well being care plans that handle your complete system and never simply the exchanges.
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STEVE SCALISE: Beginning subsequent week, voting within the Home on payments that can deal with reducing premiums for 100% of Individuals.
MILLER: Republicans haven’t mentioned what might be in these payments. However one factor is obvious – if Congress does not come to a consensus on well being care by yr’s finish, premiums are set to skyrocket.
Saige Miller, NPR Information.
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