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The House is teeing up a series of health care votes this week as Democrats face a choice on their willingness to back anything but a straight extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. (Sullivan, 12/15)

The Baltimore Sun recently sat down with Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul in his Russell Senate office for a wide-ranging conversation that touched on childhood and COVID vaccine mandates, the power of federal health agencies, the influence of Big Pharma, the future of the Affordable Care Act, and his proposals to lower healthcare and insurance costs. The interview has been edited for clarity. (Williams, 12/15)

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) called on Congress to pass legislation addressing expiring subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), regardless of who gets the credit. “Good policy is good politics,” Cassidy told host Chris Stirewalt on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday.” “Let’s not have a Republican plan or a Democratic plan, let’s have an American plan. If we address it, I don’t care who gets the credit.” (Rego, 12/14)

With key Obamacare tax credits set to expire within weeks, Democrats have unified behind a simple message: extend the subsidies and keep health insurance premiums from spiking for more than 20 million Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, have engaged in a wide-ranging blame game while scrambling to coalesce behind an easily digestible plan to lower health care costs. That struggle comes to a head this week as House leaders move to put what they hope will be a consensus GOP plan up for a vote. (Carney, Lee Hill and Wu, 12/15)

With subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance set to expire, Americans who rely on them will probably switch to plans with lower monthly premiums and high deductibles or decide not to purchase any coverage, which will have a serious and damaging impact on the entire sector, according to healthcare policy experts. The average amount ACA plan enrollees pay annually for premiums is estimated to more than double, from an average of $888 this year to $1,904 in 2026, according to a �鶹Ů�� analysis. (Berger, 12/14)

For one Wisconsin couple, the loss of government-sponsored health subsidies next year means choosing a lower-quality insurance plan with a higher deductible. For a Michigan family, it means going without insurance altogether. For a single mom in Nevada, the spiking costs mean fewer Christmas gifts this year. She is stretching her budget already while she waits to see if Congress will act. (Swenson, 12/13)

Also —

In a year dominated by vaccine policy, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration has set in motion other policy changes that are still in the works and could influence billions of dollars in health spending. (Goldman, 12/15)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: �鶹Ů�� Health News’ ‘An Arm and a Leg’: How To Pick Health Insurance — In The Worst Year Ever
As health insurance premiums skyrocket in both employer-based plans and Affordable Care Act marketplaces, millions face worse choices than ever during this open enrollment.The team behind “An Arm and a Leg” examines their own limited options, walking through how they approached reading the fine print to weed out the worst choices — and potentially save thousands of dollars. (Weissmann, 12/15)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: �鶹Ů�� Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Talk Increasing Insurance Costs, From Marketplace Plans To Employer Coverage 
�鶹Ů�� Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed Affordable Care Act subsidies on Crooked Media’s What a Day on Dec. 10 and on Slate’s What Next on Dec. 9. (12/13)