Four House Republicans signed a Democratic-led discharge petition that will force a vote to extend ACA’s enhanced subsidies hours before lawmakers voted to pass a healthcare package that excluded an extension, The Hill reported Dec. 17.
The four Republicans joined all 214 House Democrats in signing the discharge petition. Their signatures came after House Speaker Mike Johnson said Dec. 16 that he wouldn’t call a vote to extend the subsidies.
The discharge petition will force a vote on extending the subsidies for three years, but House rules require a waiting period before the bill can be called to the floor. With lawmakers set to leave Washington, D.C., at the end of the week it means the vote is not likely to occur until they return in January.
The discharge petition received the required 218 signatures hours before the House voted to pass the healthcare package called the “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.”
The legislation would expand access to association health plans by allowing employers — including self-employed workers – to join together to purchase insurance. It would also allow employers to offer their employees tax-advantaged funds to pay for individual health insurance (ICHRA), in place of offering traditional group plans. Tax incentives would be offered for employers who adopt these arrangements.
It would also provide funding for cost-sharing reduction payments beginning in 2027 and would require pharmacy benefit managers to provide employers with detailed data on prescription drug spending, rebates, spread pricing and formulary decisions.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is not expected to pass, according to the report.
