Senate GOP Signals Willingness to Discuss Extension of ACA Subsidies: A New Era of Bipartisan Healthcare Talks?

Senator Katie Britt, a Republican from Alabama, expressed her willingness on Sunday to discuss the possibility of extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), even amidst the ongoing government shutdown.

During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash, Britt remarked, “I am very much open to dialogue; however, we cannot simply extend a program plagued by fraud, waste, and inefficiency.” She emphasized the need for modifications to ensure the program benefits the American public effectively.

Research by the health policy organization KFF indicates that most suspected fraud cases related to ACA enrollment are linked to agents, brokers, web brokers, and other intermediaries.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune from South Dakota shared with MSNBC that he had proposed a vote to Democratic leaders concerning these subsidies, suggesting the implementation of income caps for eligibility.

While Senator Britt also advocates for income limits for subsidy qualification, she contends that the healthcare system requires a “complete overhaul.” Nonetheless, she maintains that any substantive discussions should only occur after resolving the shutdown that started on October 1st.

“I am absolutely willing to have a conversation, but we have got to open the government first,” Britt added.

The credits, first offered during the COVID-19 pandemic and extended via the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, expire at the end of this year. Premiums will increase by over twofold next year if the subsidies expire, according to KFF. 

Amid the shutdown, Democrats in Congress have called for a permanent extension of the credits. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told MSNBC last Thursday that the GOP’s support for extending the subsidies must be “ironclad” for negotiations to occur.