The House will hold a vote to extend the ACA’s enhanced subsidies after four Republicans signed a Democratic-led discharge petition to force a vote, The Hill reported Dec. 17.
Here are five things to know about the discharge petition and what happens next:
1. The petition, signed by the four Republicans and all 214 Democrats, surpassed the 218-signature threshold hours before lawmakers voted to pass a healthcare package that excluded an extension of the subsidies. The effort to force the vote comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Dec. 16 that he would not call a vote to extend the subsidies.
2. The discharge petition will force a vote on extending the subsidies for three years, though the vote likely will not happen until January as House rules require a waiting period before the bill can be called to the floor. Lawmakers are also set to leave Washington, D.C., at the end of the week.
3. Republican-backed legislation that passed by a 216-211 vote on Dec. 17 would expand access to association health plans by allowing employers — including self-employed workers — to join together to purchase insurance.
4. It would also allow employers to offer their employees tax-advantaged funds to pay for individual health insurance in place of offering traditional group plans. Tax incentives would be offered for employers who adopt these plans. It would also provide funding for cost-sharing reduction payments beginning in 2027 and would require pharmacy benefit managers to provide employers with detailed data on prescription drug spending, rebates, spread pricing and formulary decisions.
5. The bill will now go to the Senate, where it is not expected to pass, according to The Hill.
