To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend and modify the enhanced premium tax credits, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Husted introduced the following bill; which was read twice …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Accountability for Better Care Act of 2025 extends the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies through 2027, which were set to expire at the end of 2025. It also expands eligibility for these subsidies to people earning up to 600% of the federal poverty level (roughly $90,000/year for an individual) starting in 2027. However, the bill also restricts eligibility to U.S. citizens only and disqualifies health plans that cover abortions from receiving federal subsidies.
Who Benefits and How
U.S. citizens who purchase health insurance through ACA marketplaces benefit from continued premium assistance and, for those in the 400-600% income bracket, will become newly eligible for subsidies. Health insurance companies benefit from continued federal payments that support their marketplace customers. Anti-abortion advocacy groups achieve a policy goal by restricting subsidized plans from covering abortions.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Lawfully present non-citizens (such as green card holders and visa holders) who currently receive premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions will lose access to these benefits after 2025, significantly increasing their healthcare costs. Women seeking health insurance that covers abortion will have fewer subsidized options available. The federal government and taxpayers bear the cost of continuing the subsidy programs. All enrollees must pay at least $5/month toward their premiums.
Key Provisions
- Extends enhanced premium tax credits through 2027 (previously expiring 2025)
- After 2026, expands subsidy eligibility from 400% to 600% of the federal poverty level
- Requires a minimum $5 monthly premium payment from all subsidized enrollees
- Restricts premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions to U.S. citizens only, excluding lawfully present non-citizens
- Disqualifies health plans covering abortion (except for life endangerment, rape, or incest) from being treated as "qualified health plans" eligible for subsidies
- Appropriates funding for cost-sharing reduction payments starting in 2027
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Extends enhanced ACA premium tax credits through 2027 while restricting eligibility to U.S. citizens and excluding health plans that cover abortions from qualifying for subsidies.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Extend popular ACA subsidy provisions while adding conservative policy priorities including citizenship requirements and abortion coverage restrictions"
Likely Beneficiaries
- U.S. citizens with incomes 400-600% of federal poverty level (newly eligible for subsidies)
- U.S. citizen ACA marketplace enrollees (continued premium assistance)
- Health insurance companies (continued federal subsidies for enrollees)
- Anti-abortion advocacy groups (policy victory on excluding abortion coverage)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Lawfully present non-citizens (lose eligibility for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions)
- Women seeking abortion coverage (fewer qualifying health plan options)
- Health insurance companies offering abortion coverage (plans disqualified from subsidies)
- Federal Treasury/taxpayers (appropriations for continued cost-sharing payments)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Treasury
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A plan that provides benefits or coverage for abortions shall not be treated as a qualified health plan, except for abortions where the life of the mother is endangered or pregnancy resulted from rape or incest
The percentage of household income used to calculate required premium contribution, ranging from 0% to 16.5% based on income level relative to federal poverty line
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology