RELEASE: Bipartisan Group of 35 House Members Announce New Health Care Framework “CommonGround 2025”
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<p><strong>WASHINGTON, D.C. —</strong> Today, December 4, 2025, a bipartisan group of 35 total House Members, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), announced a new health care framework, <em>CommonGround 2025</em>. The bipartisan framework includes a two-year extension of health insurance premium savings for American families, including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), with targeted modifications, to be voted on by December 18, 2025, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.</p>
<p>The Members backing the framework have also co-signed a letter urging House and Senate leadership to meet with them to discuss the framework and a constructive pathway forward in both chambers.</p>
<p>The framework and letter, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), are also co-signed by Reps. Adam Gray (CA-13), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Maria Salazar (FL-27), Darren Soto (FL-9), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Jim Costa (CA-21), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-2), Josh Riley (NY-19), Tom Kean (NJ-7), Susie Lee (NV-3), Jeff Hurd (CO-3), Jared Golden (ME-2), David Valadao (CA-22), Chris Pappas (NH-1), Ryan MacKenzie (PA-7), Ed Case (HI-1), Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Robert Bresnahan (PA-8), Greg Landsman (OH-1), Don Bacon (NE-2), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Kevin Kiley (CA-3), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Nick LaLota (NY-1), Don Davis (NC-1), Scott Peters (CA-50), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3), Hillary Scholten (MI-3), and Tom Suozzi (NY-3).</p>
<p><em>Find the CommonGround 2025 framework </em><em><a href="https://d12t4t5x3vyizu.cloudfront.net/gottheimer.house.gov/uploads/2025/12/CommonGround_2025.pdf">here</a></em><em> and below. Find the letter to House and Senate leadership </em><em><a href="https://d12t4t5x3vyizu.cloudfront.net/gottheimer.house.gov/uploads/2025/12/CommonGround-Health-Care-Framework-Letter.pdf">here</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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<p><strong><u>Top-line Summary.</u></strong></p>
<p>Two-year extension of health insurance premium savings for American families — including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), with targeted modifications, to be voted on by December 18, 2025, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.</p>
<p><strong><u>Year One:</u> An extension of the ePTCs, with targeted modifications.</strong></p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong><em>Extension of the ePTCs</em></strong> for enrollees earning less than 600% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and a phase out of the ePTCs for enrollees earning between 600% FPL and 1000% FPL.</li>
<li><strong><em>New guardrails to prevent “ghost beneficiaries” and crack down on fraud,</em></strong> including:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Implementing the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2079/all-info">Insurance Fraud Accountability Act</a> to crack down on civil & criminal penalties for fraudulent agents / brokers;</li>
<li>Codifying part of <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2025-marketplace-integrity-and-affordability-final-rule">CMS’s marketplace integrity rule</a> to remove bad actors from ACA marketplaces; </li>
<li>Directing ACA marketplaces to regularly confirm enrollee eligibility with the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6232?s=1&r=2">Death Master File</a>; and,</li>
<li>Requiring marketplaces to <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6232?s=1&r=2">better notify recipients</a> of the amount of PTCs they are receiving from the federal government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><em>Extension of open enrollment until March 19, 2026,</em></strong> and requiring HHS to notify qualified individuals of the extension of open enrollment.</li>
<li><strong><em>PBM reform</em></strong> (provisions included in the bipartisan Continuing Resolution from December 2024 and featured in the PBM Reform Act and Bipartisan Health Care Act) which:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Bans “spread pricing” in Medicaid.</li>
<li>Reforms Medicare Part D by delinking PBM compensation from the cost of medications.</li>
<li>Promotes transparency for both employers and patients in their prescription drug plans.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><u>Year Two:</u> Continued health insurance premium savings, including more significant reforms, agreed upon and voted on in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by July 1, 2026.</strong></p>
<p><strong><u>Reforms for consideration: </u></strong></p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong><u>Option for consideration:</u> <em>Medicare physician fee schedule</em></strong> (from December 2024 CR).
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Boosts the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><u>Option for consideration:</u> <em>Hospital billing transparency.</em></strong>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Requires hospitals to disclose prices, including negotiated rates and cash prices.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><u>Option for consideration:</u> <em>Give Kids A Chance Act</em></strong> (from December 2024 CR).
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Accelerates pediatric cancer treatments and expands access to life-saving therapies for children battling rare diseases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><u>Option for consideration:</u> <em>Elimination of zero-dollar premiums with minimum monthly payments, but with need-based hardship support for those who cannot afford this payment.</em></strong></li>
<li><strong><u>Option for consideration:</u> <em>HSA Accounts</em> </strong>(Sen. Cassidy proposal).
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Shifts funding that would have paid for the ePTCs to HSA accounts.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><u>Potential Pay-fors.</u></strong></p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong><em>Anti-Fraud provisions</em></strong> of IFAA, HOPE Act: not yet scored, but substantial.</li>
<li><strong><em>PBM reforms:</em></strong> as delineated in the December 2024 CR.</li>
</ul>
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<p>The post <a href="https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-bipartisan-group-of-35-house-members-announce-new-health-care-framework-commonground-2025">RELEASE: Bipartisan Group of 35 House Members Announce New Health Care Framework “CommonGround 2025” </a> appeared first on <a href="https://gottheimer.house.gov">Josh Gottheimer</a>.</p>
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