KEAN JOINS BIPARTISAN GROUP OF 35 HOUSE MEMBERS ANNOUNCING NEW HEALTH CARE FRAMEWORK

The following information was released by the office of New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean, Jr.:

"CommonGround 2025" Addresses Skyrocketing Health Insurance Premiums for American Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, December 4, 2025, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) joined a bipartisan group of35 total House Members, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), announcing a new healthcare framework, CommonGround 2025. The bipartisan framework includes a two-year extension of health insurance premium savings for American families, including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), with targeted modifications, to be voted on by December 18, 2025, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

The Members backing the framework have also co-signed a letter urging House and Senate leadership to meet with them to discuss the framework and a constructive pathway forward in both chambers.

"Today, I joined both Democrats and Republicans to advance a new, bipartisan framework to make healthcare more affordable for New Jersey families," said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. "Our CommonGround 2025plan responsibly extends Premium Tax Credits and pairs them with targeted modifications, including PBM reform, guardrails against fraud, greater transparency, and other critical improvements.

"We need to reduce health insurance premiums for every family and we need to hold accountable drug-pricing middlemen andfraudsters who are abusing our health care system," Kean continued. "Through bipartisan action, I am fighting for the people of New Jersey and driving forward a solution that Congress can deliver now."

The framework and letter, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), are also co-signed by Reps. Adam Gray (CA-13), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Maria Salazar (FL-27), Darren Soto (FL-9), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Jim Costa (CA-21), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-2), Josh Riley (NY-19), Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-7), Susie Lee (NV-3), Jeff Hurd (CO-3), Jared Golden (ME-2), David Valadao (CA-22), Chris Pappas (NH-1), Ryan MacKenzie (PA-7), Ed Case (HI-1), Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Robert Bresnahan (PA-8), Greg Landsman (OH-1), Don Bacon (NE-2), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Kevin Kiley (CA-3), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Nick LaLota (NY-1), Don Davis (NC-1), Scott Peters (CA-50), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3), Hillary Scholten (MI-3), and Tom Suozzi (NY-3).

Top-line Summary.

Two-year extension of health insurance premium savings for American families including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), with targeted modifications, to be voted on by December 18, 2025, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Year One:An extension of the ePTCs, with targeted modifications.

Extension of the ePTCsfor enrollees earning less than 600% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and a phase out of the ePTCs for enrollees earning between 600% FPL and 1000% FPL.

New guardrailsto prevent "ghost beneficiaries" and crack down on fraud,including:

Implementing the Insurance Fraud Accountability Actto crack down on civil and criminal penalties for fraudulent agents / brokers;

Codifying part of CMS's marketplace integrity ruleto remove bad actors from ACA marketplaces;

Directing ACA marketplaces to regularly confirm enrollee eligibility with the Death Master File; and,

Requiring marketplaces to better notify recipientsof the amount of PTCs they are receiving from the federal government.

Extension of open enrollment until March 19, 2026,and requiring HHS to notify qualified individuals of the extension of open enrollment.

PBM reform(provisions included in the bipartisan Continuing Resolution from December 2024 and featured in the PBM Reform Act and Bipartisan Health Care Act) which:

Bans "spread pricing" in Medicaid.

Reforms Medicare Part D by delinking PBM compensation from the cost of medications.

Promotes transparency for both employers and patients in their prescription drug plans.

Year Two:Continued health insurance premium savings, including more significant reforms, agreed upon and voted on in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by July 1, 2026.

Reforms for consideration:

Option for consideration:Medicare physician fee schedule(from December 2024 CR).

Boosts the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

Option for consideration:Hospital billing transparency.

Requires hospitals to disclose prices,including negotiated rates and cash prices.

Option for consideration:Give Kids A Chance Act(from December 2024 CR).

Accelerates pediatric cancer treatments and expands access to life-saving therapies for children battling rare diseases.

Option for consideration:Elimination of zero-dollar premiums with minimum monthly payments, but with need-based hardship support for those who cannot afford this payment.

Option for consideration:HSA Accounts(Sen. Cassidy proposal).

Shifts funding that would have paid for the ePTCs to HSA accounts.

Potential Pay-fors.

Anti-Fraud provisionsof IFAA, HOPE Act: not yet scored, but substantial.

PBM reforms:as delineated in the December 2024 CR.