Greenstein: Alexander-Murray Agreement an Important Step Toward Bipartisanship on Health Care

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 — The Center on Budget & Policy Priorities issued the following news release:

The agreement that Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray announced yesterday represents an important step toward bipartisan action on health care and away from damaging attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), radically overhaul and cut Medicaid, and take coverage away from tens of millions of people.

With this agreement, policymakers have come together on a bipartisan basis to address the Administration’s efforts to undermine the ACA marketplaces. The agreement guarantees continued payment of cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) through 2019, averting actions by insurers to set sharply higher premiums — or to leave the ACA marketplaces altogether — because they are no longer being reimbursed for lowering deductibles and co-payments for millions of lower-income consumers. The agreement also partially restores federal funding for consumer outreach and education and enrollment assistance that the Department of Health and Human Services has cut. These activities are critical to helping people access the coverage and financial assistance they need and help keep coverage affordable for consumers by encouraging healthier people to purchase insurance. Equally important, with this agreement Senate Republicans and Democrats have come together to amend provisions of the ACA, rather than attempt to rip up the law.

Read more at Insurance News Net.