Trending News Today: Senators Take a Short-Term, Bipartisan Approach to Healthcare

Yesterday, key lawmakers from both parties announced a plan to restore subsidies and stabilize the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace for 2018, according to NPR. Although this plan is a short-term fix, the goal is to stabilize the insurance market while Congress pursues a long-term bill. Sens Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) said the bipartisan approach would encourage Americans to sign up for ACA plans and help states design alternative healthcare systems, according to the article. Lamar said that President Donald Trump supports the plan.

The bipartisan short-term approach to stabilize the individual insurance market was met by significant criticism from Republicans. According to The Hill, Rep Mark Walker (R-NC), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, said he would not support the short-term legislation or any other action that shores up the ACA. Democrats and certain GOP lawmakers have publically supported the plan, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) may not bring it to the floor if it does not gain more support, according to the article.

The hepatitis A outbreak in San Diego, CA, has claimed another life, bringing the death toll to 19, The San Diego-Union Tribune reported. County officials also announced that the number of cases has climbed to 507, highlighting the persistent spread of the infection. Despite the consistent uptick in infections, officials said that the number of new cases are fewer than what was reported a few months ago, according to the article. The slowed infection rate suggests that infection control strategies are taking hold.