US Senate rejects two health care proposals as price increases loom large
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
Competing bills on health care both failed in the US Senate on Thursday, adding further uncertainty to the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies which will cause steep increases to health care costs for around 60,000 West Virginians.
The Democratic plan to extend the ACA subsidies for three years failed by a vote of 51-48 (with two Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Josh Hawley of Missouri, breaking ranks to join Democrats).
The Republican plan also failed by a vote of 51-48. It would have allowed the ACA subsidies to expire, provided $1,000 annually to Americans who make 700% of the poverty line or less for a health savings account, and expand the number of catastrophic insurance plans available in the health care marketplace.
Both of West Virginia’s senators, Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito, voted against the Democratic plan and for the Republican plan.
“I proudly voted for the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act today,” Capito said in a statement following the votes. “Unlike the Democrats’ proposal that continues to defend a broken health care system, our legislation offers a permanent solution that lowers costs and puts patients first. West Virginians deserve the freedom to make health care decisions that work best for themselves and their families.”
Across the aisle, Senator Mark Warner, D-VA, said, “Republicans delivered a major blow to the entire health care system and all of our prices today…I promise to keep working to lower your prices.””
Semafor’s Burgess Everett reports that Republican senators are awaiting guidance from President Donald Trump on what health care policy he would be willing to sign into law.
“One Republican in contact with the president said his aides ‘want to find a pathway forward,’ which is good news for a GOP Congress that needs Trump to litigate intraparty disputes,” Everett wrote.
A third way?
Senators could now turn their attention to an alternative proposal from moderates Susan Collins and Bernie Moreno. It would extend the ACA subsidies for two years, institute income caps to limit who is eligible for the subsidies, and eliminate zero dollar plans.
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, moderate Republicans have begun signing onto discharge petitions to force a vote on extending the ACA subsidies in the event the Senate does not act. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) sponsored one of those discharge petitions, saying Americans need to “keep more of their hard-earned paychecks.” She says the subsidies can be extended while simultaneously reforming the current health care system which she believes is broken.
Neither of West Virginia’s representatives, Riley Moore and Carol Miller, have addressed the looming health care cost hikes in public statements this week.
Time is of the essence, as December 15 is the enrollment deadline for citizens to sign up for coverage beginning on January 1, 2026.
The West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, a nonprofit policy organization that leans towards progressive policies, sent a letter to the West Virginia Congressional delegation this week, saying, “Without congressional action, West Virginia will face serious and avoidable harm. Premiums are projected to more than double for consumers if enhanced tax credits expire, with West Virginia among the states facing the highest price spikes of any state. An estimated 15,000 West Virginians are expected to lose coverage altogether in 2026 because they will no longer be able to afford their premiums, but these premium spikes will make everyday life unaffordable for tens of thousands more. Stability and predictability are essential for planning, budgeting, and keeping businesses and households afloat. Allowing these enhanced tax credits to expire would create unnecessary economic strain for small businesses, independent workers, and working families across West Virginia.”
Ellen Allen, Director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, warns, “It’s no secret that West Virginia is in perennial competition for the worst health outcomes in the nation. Stripping away the health care of 217,000 West Virginians will only set us back even further, making the long sought-after generational advances in health improvements —especially in infant and maternal health — elusive.”
