Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine) have announced plans to introduce the Consumer Affordability and Responsibility Enhancement (CARE) Act. The legislation aims to change current Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidy rules by capping income eligibility for premium tax credits and removing zero-premium insurance plans.
Senator Moreno criticized previous healthcare reforms, stating, “Barack Obama and the Democratic Party created this disaster, lining the pockets of massive insurance companies while healthcare costs for everyday Americans skyrocketed. But I refuse to let the American people pay the price for the Democrats’ incompetence. I am willing to work with anyone to finally bring down costs for all Americans and hope my colleagues across the aisle will commit to doing the same.”
Senator Collins highlighted affordability concerns: “Families in Maine and across the country are struggling with the high cost of health care, and we need to pursue practical solutions that increase affordability without creating sudden disruptions in coverage. This bill would help prevent unaffordable increases in health insurance premium costs for many families by extending the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits for two years and putting a reasonable income cap on these subsidies to ensure they are going to the individuals who need them.”
The CARE Act proposes a two-year extension of ACA premium tax credits as a transition away from COVID-era subsidies. It also sets an upper household income limit of $200,000 for receiving these credits and introduces a minimum monthly premium payment of $25.
