Democrats plan to push hard for cost-sharing reduction funding, which assists low-income Americans in paying for their ACA insurance coverage, reports Politico.
Here are seven things to know.
1. The cost-sharing reductions help individuals with coverage through the ACA exchanges afford deductibles, copayments and coinsurance related to their plans.
2. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump suggested in a Wall Street Journal interview that funding for the cost-sharing reductions should be used as a bargaining chip to get Democrats to work with Republicans to replace the ACA, according to the report.
3. Now Democrats seek to focus on funding the cost-sharing reductions in the next government spending bill, reports Politico. The current spending bill runs out later this month.
4. Aides told Politico Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will push for the cost-sharing reductions to be included in the next spending bill.
"Given the threat, we'll be pushing for a robust cost-sharing reduction appropriation," a Senate Democratic aide said in the report.
5. The vow from Democrats comes as eight major healthcare associations are calling on the Trump administration to fund the subsidies. The associations in numerous letters urged President Donald Trump and Congress to commit to funding the cost-sharing reductions for 2018.
6. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., told Politico Republican leaders have indicated they don't plan to eliminate the cost-sharing reductions, although no firm commitment has been made.
7. Just earlier this month, the Trump administration said the cost-sharing reductions will continue amid a lawsuit about the constitutionality of their funding.