WASHINGTON, D.C. – Working families reap the benefits of Republican health care victories delivered through the working families tax cuts earlier this year, including unprecedented new freedoms to save, spend, and access care on their own terms, stronger taxpayer protections, and lower premiums for patients. While Democrats shut down the government to defend a status quo that is driving up premiums and the cost of care, Republicans’ reforms are a big step towards repairing America’s broken health care system.

“Republicans promised to deliver more choice and lower costs — and we did,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08). “Even the Congressional Budget Office has found that our reforms in the Working Families Tax Cuts lower premiums. Millions of Americans now have more freedom to save and spend their own money on the care that works best for them. Families have more control, more flexibility, and stronger protections against waste and abuse, including blocking taxpayer funding from going to ineligible enrollees or illegal immigrants. This is what governing for working families looks like.”

Families Get More Choice and Control as Part of the Largest Reform of Health Care in a Decade

The working families tax cuts put patients, not bureaucrats, in charge of health care decisions. The law:

• Expands HSAs to millions on Obamacare choosing bronze or catastrophic health plans, unlocking triple tax advantages for medical care, better protection against medical debt during emergencies, and more freedom to choose affordable care.
  • Analysis shows that in 2025, roughly 7.3 million Americans in bronze and catastrophic plans will now have access to the benefits of HSAs — with the potential to grow to 10 million as enrollment expands. 
  • This means millions of Americans who purchase low premium plans in the individual market will be able to save tax-free for care and protect themselves against unexpected medical bills—an option previously accessible mostly for large employer coverage. 
• Recognizes Direct Primary Care (DPC) arrangements as a qualified medical expense, empowering families to pair and spend HSA funds on innovative, low-cost primary care that prioritizes prevention, access, and time with their doctor.
  • DPC delivers measurable savings and better outcomes allowing patients to save up to 30 percent on overall medical costs.
  • DPC patient have 54 percent fewer emergency room visits thanks to improved access to primary care and ongoing doctor-patient relationships.
• Makes Telehealth Flexibility Permanent, ensuring that high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) can continue covering telehealth visits before deductibles are met. This modernizes employer-sponsored benefits and keeps vital care within reach for rural Americans and working families alike.
  • With more than half of employees enrolled in HDHPs, this allows for greater access to telehealth benefits for 85 million working families. 
  • Pre-deductible telehealth allows workers to see a doctor right away without paying hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket.
• Builds on Administrative Actions
  • In early September, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a hardship exemption expanding individuals’ access to affordable “copper plans” which can be 18 percent cheaper than the average bronze plan. These plans are otherwise generally only available to individuals age 30 or younger.
  • In August, the Trump Administration reinstated individuals’ access to Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance (STLDI) plans for up to 36 months, an increase from the Biden Administration’s rule limiting access to four months. Accordingly, states have approved these plans so they’re available by next year, such as Iowa and Oklahoma.

Lower Premiums and Stronger Integrity for Taxpayers

Republicans also restored accountability and fairness to the health care marketplace through program integrity reforms that save taxpayers billions of dollars and drive down costs for everyone:

• Full income and eligibility verification before subsidies are issued, ensuring assistance goes only to those who qualify.
• Ending “anytime” enrollment abuse that fueled fraudulent sign-ups and drove premiums higher for everyone.
• Closing loopholes that allowed illegal immigrants and other ineligible groups to access taxpayer-funded health benefits.

Even the Congressional Budget Office has found that these measures have already produced $185 billion in savings for taxpayers and reduced premiums by 0.6 percent. That’s real savings for working families.

Affordable Coverage, Real Results

Recent data from CMS confirms that, in 2026, Obamacare enrollees will have robust access to health plans at affordable costs.

• Nine in ten enrollees will continue to receive subsidies for reduced-cost coverage in 2026.
• The average Obamacare premium after subsidies is $50 per month for the lowest cost plan – nearly 30 percent cheaper than in 2020.
• 60 percent of eligible re-enrollees will have access to a plan at or below $50 per month.
• The average enrollee has between 6 and 7 issuers available and 95 percent of enrollees have access to three or more issuers.

Republican reforms mean families now have more affordable options and a system that works better for them — not Washington.