Ways and Means reconciliation text includes GOP health priorities
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
The House Ways and Means Committee included a number of long-time GOP health care priorities in the reconciliation bill text released Monday.
Why it matters: While most of the focus has been on Energy and Commerce's Medicaid provisions, the Ways and Means section of the reconciliation bill contains measures that would expand access to health savings accounts and limit Medicare and ACA coverage for undocumented people.
What's inside: The 389-page amendment contains a health care section mostly focused on alternative health care coverage arrangements and savings vehicles that have long been favored by Republicans.
Those measures include:
- Expanding employer-funded health reimbursement arrangements so employers can use those to reimburse for ACA plan premiums"
- Adding flexibility for Medicare beneficiaries to contribute to health savings accounts, as well as several other provisions that expand HSAs and increase the amount that can be contributed.
- Changing rules to allow the amounts paid for physical activity to count as medical care expenses for HSAs.
The bill also would limit Medicare coverage to U.S. citizens or those with legal status.
- And it would make undocumented people ineligible for the ACA premium tax credits.
- It would also allow HHS to use AI to reduce Medicare improper payments
By the numbers: Ways and Means doesn't have a savings target in its jurisdiction, but rather a $4.5 trillion spending target, which is focused on extending President Trump's tax cuts.
