House Democrats unveil healthcare bill: 8 things to know

House Democrats have revealed a plan aimed at strengthening the ACA and expanding healthcare, according to a Vox report.

Eight things to know:

1. House Democrats released the bill on March 26, the day after the U.S. Justice Department said it supports a Texas judge's ruling that the entire federal health law be invalidated.

2. The bill is designed to protect people with preexisting conditions and lower Americans' health costs, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stated.

3. It expands federal insurance subsidies available under the ACA to everyone and caps payments on insurance premiums at 8.5 percent of their income, according to Vox

4. The legislation also reportedly establishes a federal reinsurance program to offset costs for insurers.

5. Additionally, the legislation ends the federal government's decision to expand availability of short-term health plans, which have skimpier health benefits and do not have to meet the ACA's requirements for coverage of preexisting conditions.

6. Under the bill, President Donald Trump's administration would be required to spend federal dollars on ACA enrollment outreach, according to Vox. In 2018, the administration cut the ACA's advertising budget by 90 percent.

7. The bill does not include a "Medicare for All" plan or restore cost-sharing payments to insurers. 

8. A senior Democrat aide told Vox that House Democrats will try to pass provisions of the bill individually rather than the whole bill at once.

Read the full report here.

 

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