Senate panel sees opening, however slight, for health care deal
Source: Roll Call
Posted December 3, 2025 at 4:14pm
At a hearing on health care affordability Wednesday, senators left the door open for a bipartisan agreement that would extend expiring Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies before year’s end, a day after many of their colleagues had essentially slammed it shut.
The tone at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was set by Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., who acknowledged that a large overhaul this late would be impossible, even as he wants to end enhanced credits in favor of funding health savings accounts that individuals could use to cover medical expenses like copays.
“Now, we can push for big ideas, grandiose ideas on the right or the left, but we gotta have a solution for three weeks from now,” Cassidy said. “I’m hoping that we can find a bill that can get 60 votes that can fix the problem with these changes for Jan. 1, 2026.” At issue are the enhanced Affordable Care Act credits that subsidize costs for about one-third of marketplace enrollees. Those credits expire on Dec. 31.
Cassidy said the Senate has three choices: accept no deal is possible and let the credits lapse with no other changes; conduct separate votes on partisan bills that both get rejected; or work together to pass something bipartisan in which both sides make concessions.
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2025/12/03/senate-panel-sees-opening-however-slight-for-health-care-deal/