What are the potential impacts of recent Senate actions on the future of healthcare policy in our community?
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) isn't giving up on a health care plan that can win 35 Senate Republicans and a majority of Democrats — but he and a small bipartisan group have about three weeks left to find it. Why it matters: Enhanced ACA subsidies have expired, which will raise health care costs for millions of Americans. But key negotiators see a final chance to revive them. "We're on the clock," Moreno told Axios in an interview. "We're not going to talk about this past January — like, we either make a deal this month or we don't make a deal.""It may be we don't make a deal," he acknowledged, given the political atmosphere. He won't push a bill that only gets a handful of Republicans — he wants 35. Zoom in: The bipartisan plan would reinstate the ACA enhanced subsides for two years and extend open enrollment into March, Moreno said, walking through policies that he says have "decent consensus." It will likely include income caps at 700% of the poverty line, replace $0 premium plans with $5 premiums and allow individuals to choose whether the enhanced subsidies go into Health Savings Accounts or directly toward premiums.The group has also discussed massive penalties on insurance companies that deliberately enroll people into Obamacare without their knowledge. What to watch: Cost-sharing reductions are a big part of the talks now too, and would likely go into effect in year two, Moreno said. It could be key for GOP support as they cut government costs and, Moreno argued, would lower Obamacare premiums for everyone by about 11%. The other side: Language ensuring taxpayer dollars do not go toward abortions continues to be sticking point, Moreno acknowledged, though he hopes there can be a break through. "It's not about gaining ground and saying we're doing something more than [the Hyde Amendment]. And it's not something, on the Democrat side, saying we're doing something less than Hyde," he said. "We're trying to respect a established tradition."Trump urged House Republ
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