Two senators say they have reached a bipartisan deal to fund the subsidies to health insurers that President Trump recently said he would cut off, according to The New York Times.
Senators Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, and Patti Murray, a Democrat from Washington, say they are aiming to stabilize health insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
The deal would fund cost sharing reductions—which are used to lower costs for low-income consumers—for two years. As part of the deal, states would have “more flexibility in the variety of choices they can give to consumers,” Alexander tells the Times.
The move comes after several failed attempts by Republicans in Congress to repeal and replace Barack Obama’s signature health law.
Both Louisiana health insurers offering plans on the ACA exchanges—Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana and Vantage Health Plan—raised 2018 rates earlier this summer, citing the uncertainty over whether Trump would end the subsidies.
