Senators Reach Deal to Fund Subsidies to Health Insurers

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Tue Oct 17, 2017, 03:41 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — Two leading senators have reached a bipartisan deal to provide funding for critical subsidies to health insurers that President Trump said last week that he would cut off, Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, said Tuesday.

The plan agreed to by Mr. Alexander and Senator Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat, is intended to stabilize health insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act.

As one part of the deal, the subsidies would be funded for two years, a step that would provide at least short-term certainty to insurers. The subsidies, known as cost-sharing reductions, lower out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers.

Mr. Alexander said that in addition to funding the payments to insurers, the deal would also give states “more flexibility in the variety of choices they can give to consumers,” which should appeal to Republican lawmakers eager to give states more say over health care. “This takes care of the next two years,” Mr. Alexander said. “After that, we can have a full-fledged debate on where we go long-term on health care.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/17/us/politics/alexander-murray-deal-obamacare-subsidies.html

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Let's hope this gets some traction.

Edit to add Washington Post article -

Key senators reach bipartisan health-care subsidy deal, and Trump expresses support

By Sean Sullivan and Juliet Eilperin October 17 at 3:07 PM

A pair of leading Republican and Democratic senators reached an agreement Tuesday to fund key federal health-care subsidies that President Trump ended last week — and the president expressed support for the plan.

But it was unclear whether Senate GOP leaders would embrace the proposal, leaving its long-term prospects in doubt.

The compromise from Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) would provide states with greater flexibility under the Affordable Care Act in exchange for authorizing cost-sharing reduction payments known as CSRs for two years. Those payments help offset deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers who obtain insurance under the ACA.

“Yes, we have been involved and this is a short-term deal because we think ultimately block grants going to the states is going to be the answer,” said Trump, referring to a Republican push to block grant health-care funding individually to states. His comments came just days after he moved to end the CSR payments and punt the issue to Congress.

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/key-senators-reach-bipartisan-health-care-subsidy-deal-and-trump-expresses-support/2017/10/17/72be5b04-b355-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html

[greymattermom]

1. So will Trump veto it

if it passes?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. It would probably depend on which daycare worker is with him at the moment

He could veto it (if it even made it out of the House which might be doubtful) and demand they "end Obamacare once and for all" -or- he could take credit for providing "tremendous healthcare, the best healthcare, because he forced Democrats to bow to his wishes".

Per the article you have this -

“The solution will be about a year or two years. And it will get us over this intermediate hump,” Mr. Trump said on Tuesday during a news conference in the Rose Garden.

But again, it will depend on who is handling him at the moment it manages to make it to his desk.

[Mr.Bill]

4. Absolutely.

The Senators are wasting their time. I also doubt the HOR will pass it.

[rainin]

2. Will his Bestie McConnell

bring it to a vote?

[davsand]

5. This certainly will put everybody on the record.

A bi-partisan compromise bill that will carry through the mid term elections offers up all kinds of opportunity for both sides to show their ass. Hope to hell the Dems hold it together enough to clearly draw a line between the parties. If this one blows up let the GOP OWN it.

Cross your fingers that Murray didn't sell us out too bad.


Laura

[Mr.Bill]

11. And this is why

it will never come to a vote.

[mpcamb]

15. "put everybody on the record"- Yeah; then throw in bidding for Medicaid/Medicare drugs!

No matter how much the drug companies fill your pockets, nobody wants to be on record as supporting higher priced drugs.
Make 'em declare!
Dems,too.

[elmac]

6. well I predict tRumpcare will crash and burn

this so called fix won't help, the young healthy will get the cheap non insurance crap polices and premiums will skyrocket for the rest. Its DOA

[MichMan]

10. The young and healthy didn't participate in the ACA either

That was one of the issues with the ACA from the beginning. All the young never signed up as expected.

[elmac]

14. so their taking the $1000.00 plus tax penalty instead?

don't think they are that stupid, unless their republicans.

[Iliyah]

7. Lying Ryan will not even consider

[Gothmog]

8. This is great news

[BigmanPigman]

9. Maybe if they name it after him he will sign it.

Just as the ACA was called Obamacare by the GOP (and the deplorables were too stupid to know they were the same thing) they should call it Trumpcare and we can call it Hellcare/Trumpdon'tcare.

[ananda]

12. What did Dems have to compromise on to get this?

Reduced benefits policy for younger, healthier people?

[lark]

13. If they were smart they'd just change the name to Trumpcare and all issues vanish.

It's all about him anyway.

[Bengus81]

16. Whatever it takes to get Republicans through the 2018 elections and then in the DUMPSTER it goes....

Not fooling me a bit with this sudden spurt of bipartisan ACA work by Republicans. And of course they wouldn't let those insurance subsidies die in just one year--that would look so phony even their knuckle draggers could figure out that SHAM.