Senate Health Committee Chair Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced his intention to resume bipartisan talks to stabilize the insurance exchange market, the Tennessean reports.
Here's what you should know:
1. Mr. Alexander was in the process of working with the democrats to draft a bipartisan solution to stabilize the ACA's exchanges, but efforts stalled when the Graham-Cassidy bill was introduced in the Senate.
2. Mr. Alexander said he is restarting the talks, "to see if senators can find consensus on a limited bipartisan plan that could be enacted into law to help lower premiums and make insurance available to the 18 million Americans in the individual market in 2018 and 2019.”
3. Mr. Alexander supported the Graham-Cassidy proposal, despite opposition from Tennessee's healthcare sector.
4. Before the bipartisan effort was halted, the committee held four hearings where it met with several healthcare experts in an effort to develop a solution which would give states more flexibility to regulate and design insurance plans.