Congress Seeking Bipartisan Fix For Affordable Care Act Marketplace Uncertainties

Now that Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act have failed, members of both parties in Washington are trying to improve the law. The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will hold hearings beginning Wednesday to fix the ACA marketplace, which starts selling plans Nov. 1.

Lawmakers are getting pressure from hospitals and insurance companies to continue federal subsidies that lower out-of-pocket costs for consumers buying coverage on HealthCare.gov.

However, the Trump administration has characterized these subsidies, known as “cost-sharing reductions,” as “bailouts” to insurance companies, which are required to offer lower cost plans under the ACA.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, is on the Senate Health Committee, which will hear testimony on how to make the individual marketplace more stable and affordable. She said there’s a lot of uncertainty right now.

“The president has been threatening to withhold these critical cost-sharing reduction payments so no one knows how to plan ahead. And right now, many of the insurance companies are setting their premium prices for next year and they don’t know what the rules of the road are going to be,” she said.

The uncertainty of the payments could lead to higher premiums and fewer choices. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says eliminating cost sharing reductions would add to the deficit.

In July, Baldwin joined U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, and 19 of their colleagues in introducing legislation to help stabilize the health care marketplace by permanently appropriating the cost-sharing reductions included in the ACA and making cost-sharing reduction payments available to more Americans.

Baldwin characterizes President Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine a law that he says he would repeal as “games being played.” Trump has told the Internal Revenue Service not to enforce the requirement that all Americans buy health insurance.

“I call it sabotage. Who does that? It is un-leader like,” Baldwin said.

Last week, the administration announced it was reducing advertising and navigator grants to help people learn about the law and sign up for coverage. Last week, eight governors wrote to congressional leaders to fix the ACA.