No. of Recommendations: 2
The shutdown is over the issue of extending the enhanced premium tax credits, yes?
kff.org - Aca marketplace premium payments would more than double on average next year if enhanced premium tax credits eAffordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year. Enhanced premium tax credits were introduced in 2021 and later extended through the end of 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act. The enhanced tax credits both increased the amount of financial assistance already eligible ACA Marketplace enrollees received as well as made middle-income enrollees with income above 400% of federal poverty guidelines newly eligible for premium tax credits.The Democrats used budget reconciliation to pass them in 2021 and extend them in 2022 (to 2025) since no Republicans supported them.
Why would they expect Republicans to support them now? Can't take away a benefit once it's given?
The enhanced premium tax credits are nice for those of us who get them, but they add to the debt and do nothing to help overall healthcare costs.
Good piece here:
progressivepolicy.org - A pragmatic path forward on premium tax creditsInstead of threatening to shut down the government over an outdated pandemic-era program, Democrats should be pressuring Republicans to meet them at a pragmatic middle-ground — one that permanently corrects the structural flaws of the original ACA in a fiscally responsible way. Doing so would signal to the American people that Democrats are serious about cutting medical costs rather than simply increasing government spending. PPI’s fix offers a balanced path forward: scale back the costly and regressive pandemic PTC expansion, smooth the benefit cliff, and pair any new spending with meaningful savings from reducing health-care costs. This combination of targeted assistance and real cost control would deliver more lasting affordability than another costly extension of overpriced subsidies. 