The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has published its analysis of the Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act, co-sponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Since the CBO had already done analysis of other legislation that either continued or discontinued the cost-sharing reduction payments to health insurance plans participating in the health insurance marketplaces, there is no new analysis of fiscal impacts from restoring those payments through 2019. However, the provisions in the bill that require states to certify financial benefit to the federal government and consumers from the payments would likely result in some rebates to consumers and lower payments to the health plans. In addition, the provision in the bill that expands the availability of “copper” plans with basic catastrophic coverage (at lower premiums) means lower costs for federal premium subsidies. Accordingly, the CBO also estimates that, over ten years, the bill would lower federal expenditures and reduce the federal deficit by $3.8 billion.
Ignatius Bau 