Moreno’s plan would extend the expiring subsidies under the ACA for two years, but limit those extra tax credits to those earning under $200,000 per year.
His proposal would also end all premium deals where some people pay nothing for insurance coverage under the ACA, also known as Obamacare.
“Why do you allow somebody making $500,000 a year to get a bonus subsidy?” Moreno asked. “Why do you allow $0 premiums?”
The push from Moreno comes as Republicans in the House and Senate struggle to put together their own legislative plan, as Democrats made this the centerpiece of the 43-day government shutdown fight.
“Republicans have had two decades to produce a bill to lower health care costs,” said U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio.
Moreno isn’t ready yet to get into the broader fight over how best to reform or change Obamacare. He says Congress should first deal with this coverage cliff, as tax credits and subsidies expire at the end of December.
“I am willing to work with anyone,” Moreno declared, as pressure has built in recent weeks on Republicans to find some kind of compromise. Meanwhile, House and Senate Democrats are demanding a three-year extension of the subsidies.
Over in the House, U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati (whose district includes Warren County), has joined a bipartisan effort to strike a deal, embracing a plan with contours much like the one being offered by Moreno.
“We just need a vote,” Landsman said at a news conference. “Twenty-two million Americans are about to see their health care costs skyrocket.”
While Democrats are almost unanimous in their support for an extension of the subsidies, many Republicans aren’t thrilled with that idea. They’ve never voted for anything related to the Affordable Care Act, and don’t plan on doing that now.
“Despite all evidence showing Obamacare is not sustainable, there are people claiming to be sane who want to keep propping it up with ever-increasing subsidies,” said U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy.
Last week, a new report from the Government Accountability Office gave critics like Davidson even more reason to resist any tinkering with the Obama health law system, as congressional investigators found various examples of fraud.
“GAO discovered the ACA exchange is still enrolling fake people,” Davidson noted.
Moreno and other Republicans fully acknowledge there are problems that the GOP Congress needs to address. But both parties know it’s not realistic to make major health insurance changes by Christmas, and that’s why the Ohio Republican wants to start by temporarily extending these subsidies, with some limits.
“There’s a lot of great plans out there,” Moreno said.
The Senate could vote on a three-year extension of the subsidies later this week, but that’s unlikely to get by a GOP filibuster. Will that simply lead to deadlock? Or will it lead to a deal?
“It’s going to be a choice for Democrats,” said Moreno. “Do they want a messaging situation, or do they actually want to solve a problem that they created?”
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