Senate GOP Floats Multiple Plans
Republicans in the Senate are moving quickly as Americans brace for sharp health-care premium hikes tied to expiring ObamaCare subsidies. With the clock ticking, GOP lawmakers are split on how to protect families from higher costs without endorsing a law conservatives have opposed for more than a decade.
A High-Stakes Decision for Republicans and Millions of Americans
The political pressure is real: Republicans can either extend subsidies Democrats created—risking the appearance of backing ObamaCare—or allow those subsidies to expire and face voter anger during next year’s crucial midterm elections.
Some GOP lawmakers argue a short-term extension may spare Americans devastating price increases. Others insist taxpayers are already stretched thin, saying it’s time to replace bloated subsidies with direct support that puts families—not Washington—back in control.
Moreno–Collins Plan Offers Temporary Lifeline With Major Conservative Reforms
On Monday, Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) unveiled the Consumer Affordability and Responsibility Enhancement (CARE) Act, a two-year extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies paired with reforms designed to stop fraud and reduce dependency on government-run health care.
Key changes include:
- Income limits cutting off subsidies for households earning over $200,000
- Ending zero-premium ObamaCare plans with a minimum $25 monthly payment
- New safeguards to prevent abuse of taxpayer-funded benefits
In their joint statement, the senators said their goal is simple: stop fraud, stop abuse, and restore personal responsibility to a system distorted by pandemic-era policies.
These reforms also give conservatives something they’ve demanded for years—accountability inside a program that exploded in cost under Democrat control.
White House Floats Ideas, Quickly Retreats; Democrats Push for Another Expansion
Several bipartisan House plans have surfaced, and even the Biden White House briefly floated a proposal before retreating amid Republican blowback.
This week, Senate Democrats will hold a vote on extending enhanced ObamaCare subsidies for three more years—a move that is almost guaranteed to fall short of the 60 votes needed. But the effort signals how aggressively Democrats want to expand the program even further.
Republicans, meanwhile, have not yet united behind a single counterproposal, underscoring the stakes as the year-end deadline approaches.
Cassidy–Crapo Plan Shifts Power Away From Washington and Back to Consumers
A second major GOP proposal—this one from Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)—goes in a different direction. Their plan ends the subsidies entirely and redirects money into Health Savings Accounts, giving Americans direct control over their health-care dollars.
Under this proposal:
- Adults ages 18–49 would receive $1,000 in an HSA
- Adults ages 50–64 would receive $1,500, giving older Americans meaningful relief
- Funds cannot be used for abortion coverage
- HSAs would be paired with low-cost bronze or catastrophic-level ACA plans
For conservatives who want government out of health care, this plan represents a major philosophical shift: putting families—not bureaucrats—in charge of their medical expenses.
Countdown to a Crisis: Premium Hikes Loom if Congress Fails to Act
Unless lawmakers reach an agreement by December 31, the enhanced ObamaCare subsidies will automatically expire and return to 2010 levels, triggering steep premium hikes for millions of Americans.
With midterms approaching, the stakes could not be higher.
Republicans must balance political reality with conservative principles—and whichever faction wins may determine not only health-care costs but the direction of the party heading into 2026.
