WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bipartisan coalition of 38 House members on Tuesday introduced the “CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act,” a proposal aimed at preventing sharp increases in Affordable Care Act premiums as enhanced federal subsidies near expiration.
The legislation, led by Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., builds on a framework the two unveiled last week. It would extend health insurance premium savings for two years, including one year of enhanced Premium Tax Credits with targeted adjustments. The bill also seeks to tighten oversight by preventing “ghost beneficiaries,” strengthen fraud protections, lengthen the open enrollment period, and implement pharmacy benefit manager reforms.
The measure requires Congress to vote by July 1, 2026, on whether to continue the premium savings for a second year and pursue broader reforms.
“With higher costs on nearly everything, from groceries to childcare to energy bills, we must do everything we can to fight higher health insurance costs. Premiums are out of control as it is — we can’t afford for it to get worse,” Gottheimer said. “We are running out of time to get this done. In less than three weeks, these tax credits will expire, and health care will become unaffordable for millions of Americans. This bipartisan bill builds on the framework Congresswoman Kiggans and I unveiled last week. It’s a commonsense proposal that will keep costs down and prevent families’ premiums from skyrocketing. We must get this done now. We must find common ground. Time is running out; we simply cannot delay.”
Kiggans said the legislation reflects both her professional background and a practical approach to rising insurance costs.
“As a geriatric nurse practitioner, co-chair of the nursing caucus, and one of two NPs in Congress, healthcare affordability is an important issue to me personally and professionally,” she said. “The CommonGround framework and now CommonGround for Affordable Healthcare Act, that Rep. Gottheimer and I are leading, is proof that bipartisan solutions are possible.”
Kiggans said more than 30,000 people in her district rely on marketplace insurance plans and could face steep price hikes without action.
“This framework is a win for hardworking families in my district, but it also puts needed reforms in place to protect taxpayers,” she said. “Our legislation implements income caps, puts up guardrails to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse, and even implements broader healthcare reforms. This legislation is proof that compromise works and that Democrats and Republicans are capable of working together on behalf of the American people.”
The bill’s original cosponsors include Democrats and Republicans from across the country, among them Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; Rob Bresnahan, D-Pa.; Susie Lee, D-Nev.; Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa.; Greg Landsman, D-Ohio; Ed Case, D-Hawaii; Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla.; Jim Costa, D-Calif.; Jefferson Van Drew, R-N.J.; Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y.; Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.; Josh Riley, D-N.Y.; Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.; Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.; Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.; David Valadao, R-Calif.; Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.; Jeff Hurd, R-Colo.; Darren Soto, D-Fla.; Don Bacon, R-Neb.; Adam Gray, D-Calif.; Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla.; Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas; Nick LaLota, R-N.Y.; Shomari Figures, D-Ala.; Chris Pappas, D-N.H.; Kevin Kiley, R-Calif.; Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J.; Sam Liccardo, D-Calif.; Don Davis, D-N.C.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif.; Scott Peters, D-Calif.; Jared Golden, D-Maine; and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
