Johnson Intros GOP's 100-Page+ Health Care Plan

The Senate failed to get anywhere on the health care issue this week. Now it's the House's turn to show what it can do. Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican alternative late Friday, a last-minute sprint as his party refuses to extend the enhanced tax subsidies for those who buy policies through the Affordable Care Act, also called ObamaCare, which are expiring at the end of the year, per the AP. Those subsidies help lower the cost of coverage. Johnson huddled behind closed doors in the morning—as he did days earlier this week—working to assemble the package for consideration as the House focuses the final days of its 2025 work on health care.

"House Republicans are tackling the real drivers of health care costs to provide affordable care," Johnson said in a statement announcing the package. He said it would be voted on next week. Later Friday, though, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "House Republicans have introduced toxic legislation that is completely unserious, hurts hardworking America taxpayers, and is not designed to secure bipartisan support. If the bill reaches the House floor, I will strongly oppose it."

The House GOP offered a 100-page-plus package that focuses on long-sought GOP proposals to enhance access to employer-sponsored health insurance plans and clamp down on so-called pharmacy benefit managers. Republicans propose expanding access to what's referred to as association health plans, which would allow more small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together and purchase health coverage. Proponents say such plans increase the leverage businesses have to negotiate a lower rate, but critics say the plans provide skimpier coverage than what's required under the Affordable Care Act.

The Republicans' proposal would also require more data from pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, as a way to help control drug costs. Critics say PBMs have padded their bottom line and made it more difficult for independent pharmacists to survive. Additionally, the GOP plan includes mention of cost-sharing reductions for some lower-income people who rely on ObamaCare, but those don't take effect until January 2027. The emerging package doesn't include an extension of an enhanced tax credit for millions of Americans who get insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. More here.