President Trump announced Oct. 12 he would discontinue cost-sharing subsidies to insurers. Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., have drafted a bill that would stabilize individual markets by funding those subsidies for two years, while also providing states with flexibility regarding ACA regulations. President Trump initially applauded the measure before quickly backtracking and announcing he could not support a proposal that funded cost-sharing subsidies.
Officials from the Trump administration came forward Oct. 19 to say President Trump actually could support the bill, but only if ACA regulations such as the individual and employer mandate were repealed. Mr. McConnell said he would not be moving forward with the proposal until President Trump’s stance on the Alexander-Murray bill is clear.
“What I’m waiting for is to hear from President Trump what kind of healthcare bill he might sign,” Mr. McConnell told CNN. “If there’s a need for some kind of interim step here to stabilize the market, we need a bill the president will actually sign. I’m not certain yet what the president is looking for here, but I’ll be happy to bring a bill to the floor if I know President Trump would sign it.”
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