Capping Costs for Consumers Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Schrier
Introduced
Summary
Shifts ACA premium subsidy calculations and cost-sharing reductions from a silver to a gold benchmark. This bill would reorient premium tax credit and cost-sharing rules toward a second-lowest-cost gold plan and raise CSR generosity for many enrollees while adding a Treasury funding backstop and transition rules around 2028.
Show full summary
- Households would have premium tax credits and premium-assistance calculations measured against a second-lowest-cost gold plan instead of a silver plan for plan years starting in 2028.
- Lower- and middle-income enrollees would get larger cost-sharing help, including an 87% plan share for people with incomes above 150% and up to 300% of the poverty line and an 85% CSR for incomes above 300% and up to 400%.
- The bill would add a dedicated funding mechanism by appropriating "such sums as may be necessary" from the Treasury for CSR payments and would align State Basic Health Program support to the gold benchmark for post-2028 plan years.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More cost-sharing help for Exchange enrollees
If enacted, this bill would increase cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) for people in Marketplace plans who qualify. For plan years before Jan 1, 2028: incomes over 150% to 200% FPL would get a plan share of 87%; over 200% to 250% would get 73%; over 250% to 400% would get 70%. For plan years on or after Jan 1, 2028: incomes over 150% to 300% would get 87% and incomes over 300% to 400% would get 85%. The bill would also treat silver-level references as gold-level references for CSR math starting Jan 1, 2028, align State Basic Health Program support to a second-lowest-cost gold plan for those years, and appropriate from the Treasury "such sums as may be necessary" to make CSR payments.
Higher premium tax credits for households
If enacted, this bill would make the premium tax credit use a gold-level plan as the benchmark instead of a silver plan. This applies to taxable years beginning after Dec 31, 2027. Households that claim the premium tax credit would compute their credit using gold-level premiums, which would usually raise the credit and lower net premiums depending on plan prices.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Schrier
WA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13]
IL • D
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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