Democrats and some Republicans are fighting attempts by President Trump to label payments to insurers for lowering deductibles for poor people as "bailouts."
The pushback could play a key role in landing enough political support for a short-term bipartisan deal to stabilize Obamacare's exchanges, including making the insurer payments. Lawmakers and experts say the cost-sharing reduction payments to lower deductibles and co-pays, known as CSRs, are honoring an agreement to reimburse Obamacare insurers and are not bailouts.
Trump has shown little interest in a bipartisan healthcare package after the Senate's narrow defeat of legislation to partially repeal and replace Obamacare late last month.
Soon after the Senate voted 49-51 on July 28 against a "skinny" repeal bill, President Trump tweeted that if a new healthcare bill isn't brought up again, then "BAILOUTS for insurance companies" would end soon.
Trump likely was referring to cost-sharing reduction payments. He has the power to decide whether to make the payments and hasn't told insurers if they will be made next year.
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07.02.2025