House Passes GOP Health Care Package: DOA in Senate

Yesterday, the House passed the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act on a 216–211 party line vote, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) the sole Republican “no.” Notably, the package does not extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, which expire at year’s end. The bill is expected to stall in the Senate.

Key provisions of the House package include:

• Expansion of Association Health Plans for small businesses and self employed individuals
• Restoration of cost sharing reduction (CSR) payments, projected to reduce premiums in the individual market by over 11%
• New pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) transparency requirements
• Codification of employer “choice accounts” for Marketplace coverage

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would reduce the deficit by $35.6 billion over 2026–2035 and increase the number of uninsured by roughly 100,000 annually.