Democrats want to increase ACA subsidies in stabilization bill

What we're hearing: The initial Alexander-Murray bill would have restored federal funding for the ACA's cost-sharing subsidies. Democrats now want to not only restore that funding, but to expand it — and to bolster the separate subsidy that helps people pay their premiums.

• “We’re interested in both expanding access to subsidies and increasing their value. You’ve got two different sets of populations that will be impacted in different ways depending on how cost sharing” is structured, a Democratic aide told me.

Democrats also want to:

• Restore ACA outreach and enrollment funding.

• Prevent the sale of "junk plans" — a reference to the Trump administration's proposal to expand access to short-term policies that don't comply with ACA regulations.
• Fund a reinsurance program, although the aide says this has become so popular among Republicans that Democrats don't feel like they have to push very hard.

Go deeper: Funding the ACA's cost-sharing subsidies could hurt more people than it helps — although bigger premium subsidies could change that dynamic.