BACON CO-LEADS BIPARTISAN ACTION TO PREVENT ACA PREMIUM SPIKES AND PROTECT AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE

The following information was released by the office of Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon:

Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act delivers a practical, passable solution to avert year-end crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today,

Representative Don Bacon (NE-02) joined Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Tom Suozzi (NY-02), Jared Golden (ME-02), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), and Donald G. Davis (NC-01), to introduce theBipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act, a two-party, targeted solution to prevent a sharp jump in healthcare costs as current protections expire and ensure millions of Americans can maintain affordable coverage.

Without immediate congressional action, the scheduled expiration of the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax credits would result in steep, sudden cost increases and widespread loss of coveragedestabilizing the healthcare markets working families rely upon.

"I'm glad we're moving the debate forward on extending and reforming the Affordable Care Act subsidies. I've made clear to my colleagues on both sides that Congress needs a smart, bipartisan agreement that prevents our constituents' health insurance premiums from skyrocketing," said Rep. Bacon. "That's why I worked with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Jared Golden, Tom Suozzi, Rob Bresnahan, and Don Davisto introduce the Bipartisan Health Coverage Affordability Act, another reasonable compromise that extends the enhanced premium tax credits for two years and applies new income caps and fraud protections. This may not be the final package Congress adopts, but it's a responsible compromise that can help break the gridlock and protect families from higher costs."

Key Provisions of the Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act

The legislation advances five reforms designed to protect affordability, strengthen accountability, and ensure taxpayer value:

Prevents premium spikes: Extends enhanced premium tax credits through 2027, to protect families from abrupt monthly cost increases.

Restores Consumer Control: Stops unauthorized plan and subsidy changes by requiring consent and prompt notification before any modifications take effect.

Shines Light on Middlemen: Ends hidden spread pricing, severs PBM profits from drug prices, and requires full rebate pass-through to ensure savings reach patients.

Gives Families New Tools to Manage Costs :Expands access to Health Savings Accounts and simplifies premium payments to reduce disruptions in coverage.

Smart Stewardship of Taxpayer Dollars: Modernizes eligibility and introduces a reasonable minimum contribution to protect long-term affordability and responsible stewardship of federal dollars.

"From the outset, I committed to delivering a bipartisan solution to prevent devastating premium spikestoday, we are doing exactly that. Our bill keeps the ACA's premium tax credits in place, so families are not blindsided with unaffordable increases in the care they depend on," said Rep. Fitzpatrick. "This is a practical, people-first fix that protects families now, while preserving the space to keep working toward a stronger, smarter, more affordable healthcare system. When the stakes are this high, responsible governance means securing 80 percent of what families need today rather than risking 100 percent of nothing tomorrow. We built this the right waywith input from across the aisle and across chamberswith the clearest pathway to the President's desk. We're ready to get this done, and we call on our colleagues to step up, join us, and put American families, not political messaging, first."

"The expiration of the ACA Premium Tax Credits on 12/31/25 would create an avoidable crisis for millions of Americans who will face an explosion of their healthcare premiums. We need a bipartisan solution now, and we must battle against the petty partisan interests that put politics above people. Simply put, while this bill is not perfect, it is a short-term, reasonable solution that prevents catastrophic premium spikes. If enacted, we must use the reprieve to craftlong-term reforms to lower healthcare costs in the long run: incentivizing preventative care, lowering drug prices, and cracking down on wasteful bureaucracy and abuse in our system. To get there, we must work together now, and act with the urgency this moment demands," said Rep. Suozzi

"We have known for months that there is no way for either party to address the looming health care cliff alone. It's long past time that members and leaders in Congress come together to prevent catastrophic coverage price spikes for millions of Americans," said Rep. Golden. "TheBipartisan Health Coverage Affordability Actpreserves the ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for the families who need them most, implements sensible income caps to reduce costs and better target benefits and cracks down on prescription drug middlemen. This moment requires leaders to abandon their partisan corners and govern. Our bill provides a path out of gridlock and toward solutions."

"Congress must act swiftly to bring certainty and reduce anxiety. We must promote greater accountability and ensure families do not lose vital health coverage or face bankruptcy due to medical emergencies," said Rep. Davis.

"Families across Northeastern Pennsylvania have expressed that affordability is a key concern in our healthcare system," said Rep. Bresnahan. "This bipartisan effort to extend ACA tax credits has the potential to help working families keep more money in their pockets and maintain the coverage they rely on."

Read the full bill text here.

Background:

The Affordable Care Act established premium tax credits to help families afford coverage. To prevent sharp price increases during recent years of inflation, Congress temporarily enhanced those credits in 2021 and extended them through 2025 while broader reforms continued to be debated.

That extension now expires at year's end. Without a targeted fix, millions would see immediate and significant premium spikes on January 1jeopardizing household budgets and destabilizing the individual market.

Recognizing both the urgency and the responsibility to deliver a real solution, Fitzpatrick has led months of bipartisan engagement to produce a plan that is responsible, passable, and ready to go. The Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act reflects that work, providing the protections families need now and a durable framework for continuing long-term efforts to bring down healthcare costs.

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