WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate failed to advance competing partisan health care bills Thursday as Alabamians brace for a spike in premiums next year.
The expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies is almost certain now that the two votes failed.
Alabama U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, along with all but one Republican, supported the GOP measure that would boost health savings accounts, but let the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of the year. No Democrats voted for the bill.
But Britt said she hasn’t shut the door to supporting a bill that would extend the health insurance subsidies.
“I absolutely would be willing to entertain that,” Britt told Alabama Daily News. “Obviously, we would need modifications.”
The Republican plan, led by Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mike Crapo of Idaho, would give up to $1,500 to individuals earning less than 700% of the federal poverty level to use for tax-free health savings accounts. It would also expand catastrophic marketplace options.
Tuberville also said he would support an extension of the ACA tax credits if there were changes made, such as income caps.
“If we don’t have enough time to get this done, we’re going to need to (extend) them,” Tuberville told ADN Tuesday.
Four Senate Republicans voted for the Democratic bill on Thursday that would extend the ACA subsidies for three years without any modifications. But the bill also did not reach the 60 votes needed to advance. Britt and Tuberville opposed it.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, made clear that he believed if the Senate didn’t agree on a plan this week, it would be too late to save the credits and lower premiums for next year.
“Our bill is the last train to leave the station,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “After this, we will not have time to try again before premiums shoot through the roof next year.”
Roughly 477,000 Alabamians receive health coverage through the ACA marketplace. Premiums in the state are expected to rise by about 20% on average next year.
In 2021, Congressional Democrats expanded the subsidies and renewed them in 2023, which are paid directly to the insurance company.
Despite Thursday’s failed votes, Britt said she is still open to having “real dialogue” about finding a pathway forward with Republicans and Democrats.
“I hope that the political standoff that we saw out there ends there, and that people start having dialogue, because real Americans are paying the price for this body not working together in the way that it should,” Britt told reporters after the votes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, plans to hold a health care vote next week, but the exact proposal is still in the works.
“(The package) will actually reduce premiums for 100% of Americans who were on health insurance,” Johnson said during a news conference Wednesday.
In the House, there are now two competing bipartisan discharge petitions aimed at forcing a vote on tackling the impending health care cliff. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, is the only Alabama U.S. House member who has signed onto one of the two bipartisan discharge petitions.
All House Democrats have also signed onto a discharge petition led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, that would extend the tax credits for three years.
Follow Us