Political expert, pollsters weigh in on health insurance subsidies
Government shutdown disagreements linger
The government reaches its seventh day of a shutdown, the stalling of healthcare subsidies could affect nearly 23 million Americans. FOX 9’s Babs Santos has the latest details.
(FOX 9) - On day seven of the government shutdown, one of the most contentious debates in Washington could have lasting consequences for millions of Americans: whether to renew expiring health insurance subsidies.
Shutdown healthcare subsidies
What we know:
The disagreement centers on subsidies that help people who don’t receive health insurance through their job or a government program.
Instead, these individuals purchase coverage through healthcare marketplaces.
"This gets at the very heart of a philosophical or political dispute between Democrats and Republicans in the United States and whether or not the government has a role in providing subsidies for healthcare," Hamline University David Schultz told FOX 9 on Tuesday.
Although Republican lawmakers have pushed to let the subsidies expire, millions of Americans, particularly in Republican-leaning states, stand to lose if Congress fails to act.
The subsidies were a key part of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and were later expanded under President Biden. Without renewal, they expire this year.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, around 2 million more Americans could become uninsured as early as next year if the subsidies lapse.
"This could drag out for a long period of time," Schultz said. "We know the last government shutdown was 35 days. At this point I don’t see any forces bringing the two sides together. There seems to be very minimal negotiation. The Democrats and Republicans have staked out their position on a very, very important issue for them. Unless something dramatically changes, I don’t see this getting resolved very quickly."
What's next:
Schultz sees one possible off-ramp from the stalemate.
"What I do think might eventually be the way the impasse gets ended is there is some type of agreement to extend some of these subsidies for a limited period of time," Schultz said. "But I don’t think Democrats and Republicans are there yet."
Dig deeper:
Polling released this week by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows most Americans support extending the enhanced subsidies.
About three-quarters of adults surveyed said Congress should act, including nine in ten Democrats, eight in ten independents, and six in ten Republicans.