Against the wishes of House Speaker Mike Johnson, the House of Representatives is set to vote Thursday on a measure that would renew enhanced health insurance subsidies that expired at the end of last year.

The 3-year extension is expected to pass the House, but it may not go far in the Senate, where a similar measure failed in December. A bipartisan group of senators, however, say they are close to a deal on a compromise bill for the Affordable Care Act subsidies.

While the debate over health care costs absorbed much of the oxygen in Congress in the final weeks of 2025, the rush to take action on the lapsed subsidies is now happening as members find themselves grappling with questions about the direction of U.S. foreign policy following Trump’s actions in Venezuela. That includes an expected vote in the Senate on Thursday on a resolution to block U.S. forces from further engaging in hostilities against Venezuela without congressional authorization.

  • MountingSuspicion@reddthat.com
    33·
    4 days ago

    I hate that articles don’t seem to mention that:

    1. Premium cost have already risen this year, in part due to companies expecting less people paying into insurance. That affects everyone regardless of subsidy eligibility and they will not be lowered if this magically passes.
    2. Open enrollment ends soon and many families have already chosen to go without because they can’t afford it. Reinstating these subsidies will not, to my knowledge, allow them to retroactively enroll.

    So healthcare is more expensive for everyone now and the people who were eligible for these subsidies may never see them because they don’t have healthcare anymore. This is disgraceful.

    • SacralPlexus@lemmy.world
      6·
      4 days ago

      So you’re saying that approving subsidies now just means the insurance companies would make even more profit and the customer is basically already irreversibly hurt because the premiums are already raised?

      That just doesn’t sound like something Congress would do, they are the good guys.

      Here’s a /s the size of Greenland.

    • Jordan117@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      4 days ago

      Wouldn’t re-enhanced subsidies blunt any premium rise? Also, I think the deal being discussed includes an extension of open enrollment through spring.

      • MountingSuspicion@reddthat.com
        4·
        4 days ago

        Not everyone is eligible for subsidies. My understanding is that they are basically federal assistance for low income families. Single people making more than 62,600 (which is 4 times the poverty level) for example will not be eligible for any assistance and their premiums have potentially risen over 25% just this year. That’s a lot of money, even for someone not on the poverty line.

        I wonder if open enrollment extension will allow people to change plans. If someone could only afford a catastrophic plan without aid, will they be able to change to a better plan with aid? I have not seen articles mention open enrollment extension, but I’m glad to hear it’s being discussed. Obviously that doesn’t help the people who need healthcare today, but it at least is something.