The Senate is set to vote Thursday on competing healthcare reform proposals, including a Republican-backed measure introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID). Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) announced that the chamber will consider both the GOP’s plan and the Democratic healthcare package.
Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Crapo, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, unveiled the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act earlier in the week. The bill aims to reduce healthcare costs by directing federal funds to patients rather than insurance companies, primarily through expanded access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
“Instead of 100% of this money going to insurance companies, let’s give it to patients,” Cassidy said in a statement, arguing the approach would give individuals more control over their care and improve affordability.
Crapo echoed the sentiment, stating that current spending has not lowered premiums. “We need to give Americans more control over their own healthcare decisions,” he said. “This bill… will help Americans manage the rising cost of health care without driving costs even higher.”
Republicans presented the legislation as an alternative to the Democratic plan, which they argue does not address concerns tied to the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies implemented during the Biden administration. Those increased subsidies were established through the American Rescue Plan and later extended under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Citing findings from the Government Accountability Office, Republican senators contend that the Democratic proposal would not adequately address waste, fraud, and abuse associated with the subsidies, and would not significantly lower overall healthcare expenses.
According to GOP lawmakers, the Crapo–Cassidy plan seeks to:
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Direct federal funds to patients rather than insurers
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Allow individuals with ACA bronze or catastrophic plans to deposit federal dollars into HSAs
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Lower premiums by an estimated 11 percent through cost-sharing reduction payments
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Expand access to catastrophic coverage
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Require citizenship or immigration verification for Medicaid eligibility
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Prohibit federal funds from covering gender transition services under Medicaid
Cassidy highlighted that the proposal builds on earlier efforts to expand access to HSAs and on previous ACA-replacement initiatives such as the Graham–Cassidy bill, which he co-sponsored in 2017.
In a statement, Crapo reiterated the bill’s emphasis on patient decision-making. “Patients should decide where their health care spending goes, not insurance companies,” he said.
