Budget analyses also suggest it is a pricey way to try to herd people into the exchanges, with about $35 billion needed to get 1.3 million people newly insured.
The proposal is temporary, lasting two years, and is overshadowed by the $1.9 trillion price tag of the overall bill. And it is not as ambitious as Mr. Biden’s campaign push for a “public option” or a lower Medicare-eligibility age, though it’s a big overhaul that speaks to Democrats’ desire to fix glaring affordability problems in their signature health law.
Obamacare offered subsidies to people who shopped on web-based exchanges and earned 100%-400% of the federal poverty level. Mr. Biden’s proposal would boost those subsidies across the board, allowing people earning near poverty to get a mid-tier silver plan with a $0 premium.