House Speaker Ryan pledges continuation of cost-sharing reduction payments while ACA is in limbo
Payments allow insurers in the exchanges to give low-income consumers lower deductibles.
House Speaker Paul Ryan has pledged that the administration will continue making cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers while House v. Price, formerly House v. Burwell, runs its course.
The payments allow insurers in the exchanges to give low-income consumers lower deductibles. They are needed to stabilize the market for insurers already nervous about the future of the ACA.
Ryan told The Hill yesterday that the administration would use its discretion in funding cost-sharing reductions.
[Also: Paul Ryan delays American Health Care Act vote amid mixed GOP support]
However, America's Health Insurance Plans wants greater assurances, in the form of an appropriation from Congress for the 2018 Affordable Care Act market.
"Continued CSRs are essential to market stability in 2018," said AHIP spokeswoman Kristine Grow. "Health plans need assurances those payments will continue as they determine whether to participate in exchanges for 2018, and what their premiums would be."
Insurers are facing deadlines of April 1 in some states, and June for the federal government, to set exchange market premium rates.
[Also: House v. Burwell court order one more way for Trump to end ACA]
Anthem is reportedly the latest major insurer to eye exiting the market.
House v. Price is a holdover from the ACA that would have been resolved had Republicans managed to pass their healthcare bill last Friday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans brought the lawsuit in 2014 as House v. Burwell, charging former Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell with unconstitutionally spending money to pay insurers the cost-sharing reductions without Congressional approval.
The U.S. District Court agreed, and the Obama Administration appealed.
[Also: Burwell sends outgoing message: Health reform must endure]
After Donald Trump was elected, the expectation was that the Republican administration would resolve the matter of pursuing a lawsuit against itself through repeal of the ACA.
As the ACA remains the law of the land but in limbo, Republicans face having to file a status report every 90 days. The next one is due on May 22.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
