WASHINGTON
The COVID-19 stimulus bill set to be approved by Congress this week will extend short-term economic relief to tens of millions of Americans through a two-year boost in Affordable Care Act subsidies, the first substantive expansion of the law since it was approved in 2010.
Democrats are eager to immediately get the subsidies into Americans’ pocketbooks to address the economic fallout of the pandemic. At the same time, they’re also addressing one of the top criticisms of the law its high premiums to lay the groundwork to enact a more permanent expansion of one of their signature legislative accomplishments.