PPACA largely untouched in accord to end government shutdown
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A bipartisan agreement to fully reopen the federal government and raise the government's borrowing authority that was reached Wednesday by Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate includes no major changes to the nation's health care reform law.
The sole provision in the agreement that relates to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would expand income verification of lower-income uninsured individuals before they could obtain federal premium subsidies to buy coverage in public health insurance exchanges.
Earlier, lawmakers floated a proposal that would have delayed an ACA provision — now set to go into effect next year — that initially imposes a $63 fee per plan participant on self-funded employers and other plan sponsors. The proposal, which would have delayed the fee until 2015, is not part of the accord.
The $25 billion to be generated by the Transitional Reinsurance Program fee over a three-year period is to be used by the federal government to partially reimburse commercial insurers that cover individuals with high health care costs.
Another proposal that was floated but not adopted would have delayed or repealed a new tax on medical devices.
The agreement could be voted on by the House and Senate as soon as Wednesday evening.
