Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, laid out a long-simmering framework for a bipartisan plan to tackle healthcare, but the issue of taxpayer-funded abortions still threatens to derail the deal. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
The Hyde Amendment, which dictates that taxpayer dollars can’t fund abortions, has proven a sticking point on both sides of the aisle. Senate Republicans argue that Obamacare doesn’t completely follow the law, while Senate Democrats contend that no modifications need to be made to the longstanding statute.
"There's no disagreement that there should not be federal funding for abortion," Moreno said. "Nobody on either side is wanting to relitigate that question. So we're past that mountain. The next mountain is a dispute as to whether that is actually happening today through [Obamacare]."
"A group of people, very good people, say that it is happening, and there's a group of other people who have good people, too, that say it's not happening," he continued. "So we have to resolve that."
CONGRESS BLOCKS OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES AFTER SHUTDOWN FIGHT, PREMIUMS SET TO SURGE
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is working with a cohort of Senate Democrats and Republicans to develop a plan to tackle expiring Obamacare subsidies. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
"That's a key thing that I got to convince my colleagues to understand, who hate Obamacare, they hate the policy, and say, ‘Let's take two years to actually deliver for the American people truly affordable healthcare and solve this problem for the people who are going to suffer as a result of not having these enhanced premium tax credits,’" Moreno said. "They didn’t cause the problem, politicians caused that problem."
Up front, their plan would extend the subsidies for two years and prolong the open enrollment period for the Obamacare marketplace until March 1.
During the first year, an income cap would be added, which was blown away when the subsidies were enhanced under former President Joe Biden, at 700% of the federal poverty level. There would also be a requirement of either a $5 or $60 minimum premium payment as a fraud prevention method. That would be coupled with a $100,000 fine for insurance companies that are "deliberately causing fraud, and signing [someone] up without their consent."
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In the second year, people would have a choice to either stick with the subsidies or switch their coverage plan in favor of a health savings account (HSA) — a key demand from Republicans and Trump.
Their plan would also reinstate cost-sharing reduction payments, "which, according to [Congressional Budget Office], would reduce premiums for everybody on the exchange by 11%," Moreno said.
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/key-republican-negotiator-details-bipartisan-obamacare-fix-abortion-dispute-remains-sticking-point