Overview
- Lead negotiator Sen. Bernie Moreno said legislative text for restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits will not be ready until the end of January.
- Unresolved treatment of the Hyde Amendment remains the main sticking point, with negotiators weighing insurer penalties tied to abortion-funding compliance.
- Moreno said he will not move forward without majority support from Senate Republicans, as President Trump opposes an extension and has floated alternatives such as direct payments or redirecting funds to health savings accounts.
- The working framework centers on a temporary two-year restoration with new limits, including a reported income cap near 700% of the federal poverty level, a $5 minimum monthly premium, and fines for inadvertent enrollments.
- The House passed a three-year extension on January 8 that is unlikely to clear the Senate, while CMS and KFF data show roughly 1.5 million fewer enrollees and average premium increases near 30% on HealthCare.gov states since the subsidies lapsed.