Republicans are pushing a healthcare overhaul that would shift billions of dollars in Obamacare subsidies away from insurance companies and place the money directly in the hands of patients, Sen. Roger Marshall told Newsmax on Tuesday.
The Kansas Republican told Newsmax's "Wake Up America" that Senate Republicans recently offered Democrats a one-year extension of the Affordable Care Act's enhanced subsidies — but only if it was paired with reforms aimed at lowering costs and addressing fraud within the system.
Marshall said that the GOP offered Democrats "a year extension in exchange for empowering patients — in exchange for taking part of that $150 billion a year we're sending insurance companies and giving it to patients."
This comes as Congress races against a looming deadline for the enhanced subsidies' expiration.
The proposal, often referred to by Marshall as his "Marshall Plan for Health Care," would expand health savings accounts, allow insurance to be sold across state lines, and create association health plans to give individuals and small businesses greater purchasing power.
Marshall said the plan also includes transparency measures and efforts to rein in pharmacy benefit managers, which he argues inflate costs for consumers.
Marshall criticized existing Obamacare subsidies, saying they have failed to reduce costs for families and instead benefited insurers while masking deeper problems in the system.
According to the senator, premiums and out-of-pocket expenses have surged since the law's passage, leaving many Americans struggling to afford coverage despite federal assistance.
Republicans have also sought to include provisions targeting what Marshall described as widespread fraud within Obamacare, estimating that tens of billions of dollars are lost each year. He said Democrats have repeatedly blocked efforts to address fraud, even when it has been presented as a standalone issue.
The House is expected to vote on a Republican healthcare bill that does not extend the enhanced subsidies, a measure Marshall said may pass the lower chamber but is unlikely to advance in the Senate.
Meanwhile, bipartisan talks continue among a small group of senators, though Marshall expressed skepticism that a deal could reach the 60-vote threshold required.
"If we can't get Democrats to engage on real reform, then we'll have to turn to reconciliation," Marshall said, referring to the budget process that would allow Republicans to pass legislation with a simple majority.
With the enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire in the coming weeks, Marshall said Republicans will continue pressing a patient-focused approach, arguing that meaningful reform must prioritize affordability and accountability rather than sending more taxpayer dollars to insurers.
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Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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