McCain & Bipartisan Group Of Senators Introduce Legislation To Stabilize Premiums & Access to Insurance

Press Release

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today joined Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and a bipartisan group of 24 senators to introduce short-term legislation to stabilize premiums and access to insurance in individual health insurance markets.

"As I have repeatedly stressed, health care reform ought to be the product of regular order in the Senate, and the bill we introduced today is an important step towards that end," said Senator McCain. "While this legislation certainly doesn't solve all the problems caused by Obamacare, it shows that good faith, bipartisan negotiations can achieve consensus on lasting reform."

"We have reached an agreement on bipartisan legislation that will extend cost-sharing reduction payments during 2018 and 2019, protect consumers facing higher premiums this year, and give states meaningful flexibility to create greater choices among health insurance policies in the individual health insurance market," said Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray. "The goal of this bipartisan legislation is to stabilize and then lower the cost of health insurance premiums and ensure that Americans are able to purchase health insurance in the individual health insurance market. This legislation is based upon witness testimony from four bipartisan hearings that the Senate health committee held last month."

The bill was also cosponsored by Republican Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Bob Corker (R-TN), and Democratic Senators Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Al Franken (D-MN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

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