House Speaker Mike Johnson
Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images
The House today is expected to vote on a spending bill that, if passed, would reopen the government.
The bill has at least two important considerations for healthcare.
First, it does not contain a continuation of the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies that Democrats fought to include and prompted the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has reportedly promised a Senate vote in December on extending the subsidies, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has made no similar commitment.
The second implication for healthcare is the continuation of Medicare telehealth flexibilities, including Acute Hospital Care at Home. The continuing resolution would extend these flexibilities through Jan. 30, 2026, and allow retroactive payment for these services since the temporary waivers lapsed on Oct. 1, according to the American Telemedicine Association. The ATA continues to call for a permanent fix.
"There are strong bipartisan vehicles, including the widely supported CONNECT for Health Act (S.1261, HR 4602), that could finally end this cycle and secure lasting access," said Kyle Zebley, who was just named as the new CEO of the ATA. "We appeal to Members of the House to put aside disagreements and do what is right for the American people, and in particular, Medicare beneficiaries, who have been without urgently needed telehealth services and the Acute Hospital Care at Home program for far too long."
WHY THIS MATTERS
The Senate passed a spending package that combines the Republicans' initial continuing resolution to provide short-term funding for the government with three longer-term appropriations bills that fund a handful of agencies until next October, according to The Hill.
The package funds military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch through the remainder of fiscal 2026, which ends on Sept. 30, and the rest of the government through Jan. 30, the report said.
It would also reverse any layoffs of government employees that occurred during the shutdown and prevent any more federal workforce layoffs though the Jan. 30 stopgap end date — a stipulation demanded by the Senate Democrats who backed the deal, The Hill said.
THE LARGER TREND
Three-quarters of the public, 74%, support extending the enhanced ACA tax credits, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds.
The enhanced tax credits were put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic. These would end if the House passes the Senate bill. Standard ACA tax credits would remain.
Without the enhanced tax credits, ACA marketplace enrollees would, on average, pay more than twice as much out of pocket in premiums next year, KFF said.
Since 2014, the ACA has capped how much subsidized enrollees pay for their health insurance premiums at a certain percent of their income, on a sliding scale, with the federal government covering the remainder in the form of a tax credit. Enhanced tax credits work by further lowering the share of income ACA Marketplace enrollees pay for a plan. For example, with the enhanced tax credits in place, an individual making $28,000 would pay no more than around 1% ($325) of their annual income toward a benchmark plan. If the enhanced tax credits expire, this same individual would pay nearly 6% of their income ($1,562 annually) toward a benchmark plan in 2026, according to KFF.
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org