House Passes Last Minute GOP Healthcare Bill After Moderates Revolt

Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill Wednesday evening aimed at curbing rising costs, as expiring Obamacare tax credits fuel support for change ahead of the midterm elections.

The new GOP-backed legislation, titled the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, does not extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits expiring on Dec. 31. The bill, introduced by Republican Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, passed the House in a near party-line 216-211 vote.

Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was the only GOP member to vote no. No Democrats supported the bill.

Miller-Meeks said on the House floor Wednesday that the new legislation lowers health care costs by “forcing transparency” and implementing “common sense solutions.”

“By lowering premiums through choice and competition, by expanding association health plans, we give small businesses and self-employed workers the buying power of large employers, cutting premiums by as much as 30%,” Miller-Meeks said. “Being transparent to drug pricing, we take on the pharmacy benefit managers who have long operated behind the scenes as middlemen, collecting hidden fees while prescription prices climb.”

Republican Kentucky Rep. Brett Guthrie further argued that the ACA was an “unsustainable” system that has seen premiums increase dramatically since its inception.

“Health care spending has nearly doubled since Obamacare passed. Health care plan options have been decimated by Democrat overreach, and millions of Americans are saddled with medical debt across the country,” Guthrie said on the House floor Wednesday. “Obamacare premiums are up 80% since the program’s inception, with patients paying on average $5000 dollars out of their own pocket to hit their deductible.”

The passage of the legislation, however, was dogged by the