¶ Overview
- Bean voted for a bill that would kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance, including nearly 12 million Americans off of Medicaid. More than 55,000 Floridians could lose their health coverage as a result of his votes. The President of the Florida Hospital Association called the health care cuts an “extreme blow” to the state’s health care system.
- Bean called to “dismantle” the Affordable Care Act even though more than 4.7 million Floridians rely on the law for health insurance – the most of any state in the country. He also claimed the ACA tax credits were a “disaster” and allowed them to expire, which resulted in Florida families facing dramatic premium increases.
¶ Bean Voted To Kick More Than 55,000 Of His Constituents And Nearly 12 Million Americans Off Medicaid
¶ Bean Voted to take health coverage from Nearly 12 Million Americans
¶ July 2025: Bean Voted For The Final Version Of Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill
7/3/25: Bean Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Bill’s Costs. In July 2025, Bean voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- HEADLINE: "At Least 17 Million Americans Would Lose Insurance Under Trump Plan" [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
- The Congressional Budget Office Estimated That 11.8 Million People Would Become Uninsured As A Result Of The Medicaid Cuts In Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill. According to the Washington Post, "The bill, which narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday and now heads back to the House, would effectively accomplish what Republicans have long failed to do: unwind many of the key components of the ACA, President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, which dramatically increased the number of Americans with access to health insurance. To start, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate version of the bill would result in 11.8 million more uninsured in 2034, mostly because of Medicaid cuts, compared with 10.9 million if the House version became law." [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
¶ May 2025: Bean Voted For House Republicans’ Budget Bill, Which Would Kick Millions Of People Off Medicaid
5/22/25: Bean Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Bean voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The House GOP Budget Bill Was Estimated To Increase The Uninsured Population By 8.6 Million By 2034. According to CNN, “The Medicaid and Affordable Care Act provisions in the package could result in 8.6 million more people being uninsured in 2034, according to an early CBO estimate released by Democratic lawmakers. That number is expected to grow with the latest changes.” [CNN, 5/28/25]
- The House GOP Budget Bill Codified A Trump Administration Proposal That Restricted Access To The Affordable Care Act. According to CNN, “The bill also calls for codifying a Trump administration proposal that would make changes to the Affordable Care Act enrollment process, including shortening the open enrollment period and eliminating the ability of low-income Americans to sign up year-round.” [CNN, 5/28/25]
¶ February 2025: Bean Voted For A Budget Resolution That Spelled Out Future Medicaid Cuts But He Claimed It Didn’t
2/25/25: Bean Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Framework That Included $2 Trillion In Cuts, Raised The Statutory Debt Limit By $4 Trillion, And Required House Committees To Recommend Legislation That Would Implement Trump’s Agenda. In February 2025, Bean voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the concurrent resolution that would recommend a budget for fiscal 2025 and budget levels through fiscal 2034. The resolution would assume minimum savings of $1.5 trillion over 10 years and 2.6 percent economic growth over the same period. It also would require the statutory debt limit to be raised by $4 trillion. It also would authorize the House Ways and Means Committee to increase deficits by $4.5 trillion over 10 years to extend the 2017 tax cuts and implement new tax cuts proposed by the White House. It also would provide instructions for the budget reconciliation process through which separate legislation could be considered and passed in the Senate via a simple majority vote. The measure would deliver instructions to 11 House committees to report legislation that would implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, such as expanding tax cuts and bolstering border security and immigration enforcement. The committees would be required to report their legislative recommendations to the House Budget Committee by March 27, 2025. It also would set a $2 trillion target for the spending cuts to be submitted to the House Budget Committee. The resolution also would stipulate that if the committees don't reach that target, the Ways and Means’ reconciliation instructions to increase the deficit by a maximum of $4.5 trillion would be decreased by the amount the other committees come in below the target. Similarly, it would stipulate that Ways and Means could increase the deficit above the $4.5 trillion level by the amount of savings the committees achieve above the $2 trillion target.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 217 to 215. [House Vote 50, 2/25/25; Congressional Quarterly, 2/25/25; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 14]
- HEADLINE: “What Can House Republicans Cut Instead Of Medicaid? Not Much.” [New York Times, 2/25/25]
- HEADLINE: "House Republican Budget Takes Away Health Care, Food Aid To Pay For Expanded Tax Cuts For Wealthy" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
- New York Times Reported The $880 Billion In Cuts Required By The Republican Budget Proposal Would Have To Come From Medicaid, Medicare, Or CHIP. According to the New York Times, "The budget resolution itself is silent on whether Congress cuts Medicaid, which provides health coverage to 72 million poor and disabled Americans. But it instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the program, to cut spending by $880 billion over the next decade. If the committee can’t save at least that much, the entire effort could be imperiled because of the special process Congress is using to avoid a Senate filibuster. Ten other committees have their own instructions to follow, though none have been assigned with cutting nearly as much. It’s not so simple as finding the cuts elsewhere. The special process, known as budget reconciliation, means Republicans will have to find all $880 billion from within the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction. That leaves them with fewer options than one might think. […] If Republicans want to avoid major cuts to Medicaid, the largest pot of available money is in the other big government health insurance program: Medicare. […] Even if the committee cuts everything that’s not health care to $0, it will still be more than $600 billion short. The committee could also save around $200 billion by eliminating the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but that option has not been raised by the budget committee or anyone in House leadership. […] Even if all of these cuts, revenues and rule cancellations from outside health care can pass muster, the committee will still be left with hundreds of billions of dollars to cut to hit its goal. Mathematically, the budget committee’s instructions mean the committee would need to make major cuts to either Medicare, Medicaid or both." [New York Times, 2/25/25]
¶ bean touted passage of the republican budget bill, calling it “transformational”
July 2025: Bean Praised The Passage Of The Republican Budget Bill And Touted It As “Transformational.” According to a press release from Rep. Aaron Bean, “On Independence Day, U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) applauded President Trump’s signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, a transformational piece of legislation that puts American families, seniors, and businesses first. In addition to the bill’s broad economic reforms, Congressman Bean successfully fought for the inclusion of a key social reform to strengthen work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid. This provision ensures that physically capable individuals, not in school, and without dependents, participate in meaningful work or workforce training. ‘There’s no better time to restore accountability and opportunity than the Fourth of July,’ said Congressman Bean. ’President Trump’s signature on the One Big Beautiful Bill is a win for the American worker, and I’m proud that my Medicaid work requirements provision is helping fuel that momentum.’” [Press Release – Rep. Aaron Bean, 7/4/25]
¶ More Than 55,000 Floridians In The Fourth Congressional District Could Lose Health Coverage A Result Of Bean’s Votes
An Estimated 55,439 People In Bean’s District On The Affordable Care Act And Medicaid Could Lose Coverage Due To Republican Budget Bill Health Care Cuts. According to the Joint Economic Committee,
[Joint Economic Committee, Viewed 10/17/25]
2023: 152,756 Floridians In The 4th Congressional District Were Enrolled In Medicaid Or CHIP. According to the Center for American Progress,
[Center for American Progress, 3/11/25]
¶ florida hospitals warned the health care cuts in the republican spending bill were an “extreme blow” to the state’s health care system
Florida Hospitals Warned That The Health Care Cuts Introduced In The Republican Spending Bill Were An “Extreme Blow” To Florida’s Health Care System. According to Axios, “Florida's health care workers and advocates are sounding the alarm over Medicaid cuts in President Trump's tax and spending bill, arguing millions of residents could lose access to care in an already underfunded system. Why it matters: Curtailing funding will force health care providers to reduce or do away with necessary services, increase driving times for rural families seeking care and increase costs, advocates say. […] The cuts are ‘not an accounting tactic’ but an ‘extreme blow’ to a system that is relied on by about one in five Florida residents, Mary C. Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, wrote prior to the bill's passing. ‘Florida already ranks nearly dead last regarding per capita Medicaid spending,’ she added. Florida has ‘no fat to trim, no bloat to eliminate, no waste to minimize.’” [Axios, 7/8/25]
¶ Bean Had A History Of Supporting Legislation THat attacked Medicaid enrollees
February 2025: Bean Introduced Legislation To Impose Work Requirements For People On Medicaid. According to a press release from Rep. Aaron Bean, “U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) today reintroduced a bill to reform work requirements for able-bodied Americans. The requirements apply to adults receiving Medicaid benefits who are not in school and have no dependents. This change would help lift millions off government dependence, save taxpayers more than $100 billion over 10 years, and put America on the path of fiscal responsibility. Congressman Bean was joined by Congressmen Scott Franklin (FL-18), Mike Kennedy (UT-03), and Randy Weber (TX-14) in reintroducing this bill. ‘Work is an honorable enterprise, and it promotes a dignified pathway out of poverty. Yet today, there are more than 1.5 million able-bodied adults on Medicaid who are not working. We can’t keep asking hardworking Americans to pay for services for their neighbors who do not work,’ said Congressman Bean. ‘Imposing work requirements on able-bodied adults without a dependent is not only common sense, but it would allow working Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money.’” [Press Release – Rep. Aaron Bean, 2/27/25]
- CBPP Estimated Congressional Proposals, Like Bean’s, To Impose Work Requirements On Medicaid Recipients Could Result In 36 Million Americans Losing Their Coverage. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Recent proposals from Republican congressional leaders and conservative think tanks would cut Medicaid by taking coverage away from people who don’t meet unnecessary and burdensome work requirements.[1] We estimate that 36 million Medicaid enrollees — including people in every state — could be at risk of losing their coverage under various proposals. […] Recent proposals at the national level are similar to the policy put in place temporarily in Arkansas but even more expansive. First, they include a wider age range of enrollees who would be subject to the requirements. While Arkansas’ policy applied to people aged 19-49, the Limit, Save, Grow Act passed by the Republican-controlled House in 2023 included people aged 19-55.[17] The Limit, Save, Grow Act is endorsed in both the Republican Study Committee’s fiscal year 2025 budget and the House Budget Committee’s fiscal year 2025 budget resolution.[18] An even more recent bill introduced in December 2024 by Reps. Aaron Bean and Harriet Hageman would apply work requirements to people aged 18-65." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/5/25]
- CBPP Said Work Requirements Were Not Rooted In Reality But False Stereotypes, And Ignored The Fact That Most Adults Were Working As Well As The Key Reasons Why People Were Not Currently Employed. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Work requirements are rooted not in reality, but in false stereotypes based on race, gender, disability status, and class. They ignore both the fact that most adults are working and the key reasons that people are not currently employed, including the impact of health conditions, disabilities, and the need to care for family members on people’s ability to work at various times; the instability of low-paying jobs; ongoing labor market discrimination that limits employment opportunities for people of color and women; and the lack of child care and paid sick and family leave.[8]" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/5/25]
February 2019: Bean Introduced A Bill To Permanently Eliminate Medicaid Retroactive Eligibility In Florida. According to WLRN, “The Senate’s top health-care budget writer wants to make permanent the elimination of Medicaid retroactive eligibility. Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, said the state cannot afford to return to a longstanding policy that allowed Medicaid patients three months to apply for coverage while the state and federal government paid the costs of care. ‘The policy (change) is reasonable,’ Bean, who filed a bill (SB 192) last week to make the change permanent, told The News Service of Florida.” [WLRN, 2/26/19]
- Bean’s Proposal Would Require Patients To Immediately Enroll In A Medicaid Managed-Care Plan Rather Than Giving Them 90 Days To Make A Selection. According to WLRN, "In a move that was projected to save $98 million, the Legislature last year approved allowing state Medicaid officials to seek federal approval for the change. Instead of giving patients 90 days to choose a Medicaid managed-care plan, the state now requires that the patients immediately enroll in a plan." [WLRN, 2/26/19]
- An Estimated 39,000 Poor, Elderly, And Disabled Floridians Were Affected By The Medicaid Change Bean Wanted To Make Permanent. According to WLRN, "About 39,000 poor, elderly and disabled Floridians are impacted by the change, which took effect Feb. 1. Lawmakers included the change in the budget for fiscal year 2018-2019 which expires June 30. That means unless lawmakers pass a bill to make the cut permanent, the change will expire. Bean said he expects his bill ‘could get some heat’ when it is heard in committee but that he’s ready to defend the policy." [WLRN, 2/26/19]
- Florida Policy Institute Said The People Hurt Most By The Change To Medicaid Retroactive Eligibility Were People With Disabilities, Low-Income, Elderly Floridians, And Those Facing Catastrophic Medical Bills. According to the Florida Policy Institute, "Who is hurt by this cut? The cut mainly impacts people with disabilities and older Floridians with very low income. (Children and pregnant women still have this coverage.) Victims of this cut include people facing catastrophic medical bills arising from end-of-life care, accidents, strokes, and cancer. The story of George highlights the devastating impact this cut can have on people's lives.” [Florida Policy Institute, 3/31/21]
- Florida Policy Institute Said Most Low-Income, Uninsured Healthy Adults Did Not Qualify For Medicaid In Florida Until They Faced Major Injury Or Illness Because Florida Had Not Expanded Its Medicaid Program. According to the Florida Policy Institute, "What is the state's policy justification for this cut? The state says that eliminating RME will encourage people to enroll in Medicaid quickly when they are healthy instead of waiting until they are sick. However, the reality is that most low-income, uninsured healthy adults don't qualify for Florida Medicaid until they face a major injury or illness because Florida has not expanded its Medicaid program. Why can't Florida adults get Medicaid when they are healthy? Florida has not expanded its Medicaid program to cover most healthy, non-pregnant uninsured adults aged 18-64. Only parents with income up to 32 percent of the poverty level ($6,825 per year for a household of three) can qualify. Most adults currently covered by Florida Medicaid are seniors or people with significant disabilities." [Florida Policy Institute, 3/31/21]
¶ Bean Has Called To “Dismantle” The Affordable Care Act And Allowed Critical Health Care Tax Credits That Floridians Rely On To Expire
¶ bean called to “dismantle” the affordable care act
Bean On The Affordable Care Act: “It Is A Disaster Ed, We Have Got To Dismantle It, Start Over. In Fact, I Don’t Know If It Can Be Saved At All.” According to an interview Rep. Aaron Bean gave on Newsmax, “ANCHOR: “And then also health care. According to Politico, the White House knows it needs to act on these Obamacare subsidies, do something to deal with it, it’s all eyes on the midterms, if it makes sense for the midterms then it’s going to move forward in terms of some health care reform. What do you think needs to happen? Because I’m sympathetic to what you and a lot of your colleagues have said, which I think when I was covering the Obama White House, this was the Obama/Biden law and a lot of Republicans, you were probably saying in the Florida State Senate at the time or at least on the sidelines saying this is not going to work, we can’t afford this and they rammed it through anyway and now they expect you and the president to fix it. How do you do that? BEAN: It is a disaster Ed, we have got to dismantle it, start over. In fact, I don’t know if it can be saved at all.” [Newsmax, Ed Henry The Briefing, 11/14/25] (video)
¶ bean claimed affordable care act tax credits were a “disaster” and allowed them to expire
Bean Claimed Affordable Care Act Subsidies Were A “Disaster.” According to Florida Politics, "This event will be part of a Path to Consensus series Bean kicked off in December to illuminate complicated policy debates in Congress. The first looked at tax credits tied to the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace, and occurred as pandemic-era subsidies were sunsetting. ‘I was leaning against the subsidies extension, because the more we researched, they were a disaster. They’re expensive, they’re fraud-ridden. People were being signed up without the knowledge. So when we had that debate, I was already there,’ Bean said." [Florida Politics, 2/5/26]
¶ Bean Voted Three Times Against Extending ACA Premium Tax Credits For Three Years
1/8/26: Bean Voted Against Extending The Affordable Care Act Tax Credits For Three Years. In January 2026, Bean voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill, as amended, that would extend for three years, through the end of calendar year 2028, the enhanced tax credits to subsidize premiums for health insurance purchased on the Affordable Health Care Act health insurance markets. It would allow taxpayers whose household income exceeds 400 percent of the federal poverty line to receive tax credits for three more years. The measure would retroactively take effect Jan. 1, 2026.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 230 to 196. [House Vote 11, 1/8/26; Congressional Quarterly, 1/8/26; Congressional Actions. H.R. 1834]
- 17 Republicans Voted For Passage Of The “Clean” Extension, Following A Procedural Vote The Day Before That Had Support From Nine Republicans. According to Politico, “Seventeen Republicans joined Democrats in passing legislation Thursday that would revive enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years, rebuffing opposition from GOP leadership. The 230-196 vote follows a procedural vote Wednesday to advance the bill, where nine Republicans joined Democrats in favor of moving forward.” [Politico, 1/8/26]\
- Speaker Johnson Called The Bill “Really Bad Policy” And Said He Wished That Not Everyone Had A Vote. According to Politico, “Johnson’s office, in a last-ditch effort Thursday morning to undermine the effort, blasted out a memo accusing ‘Democrats [of] want[ing] to expand a COVID subsidy system already flagged for massive fraud and abuse, with absolutely zero reforms.’ After the vote Thursday evening, Johnson said in an interview of the Republicans who defected, ‘I think it’s a really bad policy, and I wish they hadn’t, but everybody had a vote.’” [Politico, 1/8/26]
1/8/26: Bean Effectively Voted Against Extending The Affordable Care Act Tax Credits. In January 2026, Bean voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “adoption of the rule (H Res 780) providing for consideration of the bill (HR 1834). It would consider as adopted the McGovern, D-Mass., substitute amendment that would extend, through 2028, the enhanced tax credits to subsidize premiums for health insurance purchased on the Affordable Health Care Act health insurance markets. The rule would direct the clerk to transmit to the Senate a message that the House has passed HR 1834 no later than one calendar day after passage.” The vote was on the adoption of the rule. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 224 to 202. [House Vote 10, 1/8/26; Congressional Quarterly, 1/8/26; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 780; Congressional Actions. H.R. 1834]
1/7/26: Bean Effectively Voted Against Extending The Affordable Care Act Tax Credit. In January 2026, Bean voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to discharge from the House Rules Committee the rule (H Res 780) providing for consideration of the anticipated ACA tax credit extension vehicle (HR 1834).” The vote was on the motion to discharge the rule. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 221 to 205. [House Vote 4, 1/7/26; Congressional Quarterly, 1/7/26; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 780; Congressional Actions. H.R. 1834]
¶ Bean Did Not Sign Discharge Petitions Aimed At Extending Premium ACA Tax Credits
Bean Was Not One Of The Republican Signers On A Discharge Petition Led By House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Discharge Petition No. 10, 11/12/25]
- House Minority Leader Jeffries’ Discharge Petition Sought To Extend ACA Premium Tax Credits For Three Years. According to Politico Pulse, "House Democrats could move as soon as tomorrow to force a vote on extending the expired Obamacare subsidies for three years, Meredith Lee Hill reports. This measure follows last month’s major setback for Speaker Mike Johnson, when four House Republicans broke from the party to support a discharge petition backed by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to hold a vote." [Politico Pulse, 1/6/26]
Bean Was Not One Of The Republican Signers On A Discharge Petition Led By Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Discharge Petition No. 12, 12/10/25]
- December 2025: Fitzpatrick Filed A Discharge Petition Aimed At Extending ACA Premium Tax Credits For Two Years. According to a press release from Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, "Today, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) released the following statement after filing a discharge petition to bring his Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act directly to the House floor for a vote, ensuring Congress takes action to prevent devastating health insurance premium increases when current protections expire at the end of the year: ‘Congress cannot sit idle while American families face a preventable crisis. Our job is to protect the people we serve, and that responsibility demands immediate action. […] Key Provisions of the Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act The legislation advances five reforms designed to protect affordability, strengthen accountability, and ensure taxpayer value: Prevents premium spikes: Extends enhanced premium tax credits through 2027, to protect families from abrupt monthly cost increases. Restores Consumer Control: Stops unauthorized plan and subsidy changes by requiring consent and prompt notification before any modifications take effect. Shines Light on Middlemen: Ends hidden spread pricing, severs PBM profits from drug prices, and requires full rebate pass-through to ensure savings reach patients. Gives Families New Tools to Manage Costs: Expands access to Health Savings Accounts and simplifies premium payments to reduce disruptions in coverage. Smart Stewardship of Taxpayer Dollars: Modernizes eligibility and introduces a reasonable minimum contribution to protect long-term affordability and responsible stewardship of federal dollars." [Press Release – Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, 12/10/25]
Bean Was Not One Of The Republican Signers On A Discharge Petition Led By Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Discharge Petition No. 13, 12/10/25]
- December 2025: Gottheimer Filed A Discharge Petition Aimed At Extending ACA Premium Stax Credits For Two Years. According to a press release from Rep. Josh Gottheimer, "Today, December 11, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) released the following statement: ‘In less than three weeks, unless Congress acts now, Affordable Care Act tax credits will expire, and health insurance premiums will shoot up 175% — or $20,000 a year — for families in Jersey. This week, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans and I, with 36 of our Democratic and Republican colleagues, introduced new bipartisan legislation that includes a two-year extension of health insurance premium tax cuts for American families. It’s a commonsense proposal that will keep costs down and prevent families’ premiums from skyrocketing in January. But, the Speaker of the House is refusing to bring our legislation to the floor for a vote. So, our bipartisan group just launched a discharge petition to force an immediate vote in the House. We must get this done now. We must find common ground and lower health insurance premiums. Time is running out for families.’" [Press Release – Rep. Josh Gottheimer, 12/11/25]
¶ Bean voted for a bill that would weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions and failed to address premium spikes
¶ December 2025: Bean Voted For The Lower Health Care Premiums For All Americans Act
2025: Bean Voted For The Lower Health Care Premiums For All Americans Act That Allowed The ACA Tax Credits To Expire. In December 2025, Bean voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would expand the ability of small businesses to establish association health plans and bars states from preventing small businesses from obtaining stop-loss insurance for self-funded health insurance plans. It would codify and expand rules governing employer-funded health reimbursement arrangements and would allow employees in such arrangements to pay Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums through salary reductions. It would provide funding for ACA policy cost sharing reduction payments that reduce deductibles and copayments. It would prohibit plans from providing abortion-related care. It also would require pharmacy benefit managers to provide transparency regarding prescription drug costs and the drug rebates they receive.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 216 to 211. [House Vote 349, 12/17/25; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6703]
¶ The Lower Health Care Premiums For All Americans Act Did Nothing To Address The Expiration Of ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits And Would Weaken Protections For People With Pre-Existing Conditions
The December 2025 Republican Health Care Bill Failed To Prevent Imminent Premium Spikes For More Than 20 Million People Who Relied On ACA Marketplace Plans. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The health bill House Republicans are preparing to bring to the floor this week not only fails to prevent imminent premium spikes for more than 20 million people in marketplace plans, but would raise costs even higher for many marketplace enrollees and weaken pre-existing condition protections for individuals and small businesses." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 12/16/25]
- HEADLINE: "House Republicans Pass Health Care Plan Without Re-Upping Insurance Subsidies" [Politico, 12/17/25]
- HEADLINE: "House Passes GOP Health Bill Without Subsidies" [Axios, 12/17/25]
- HEADLINE: "House Passes GOP Health Care Bill Without Obamacare Subsidy Extension" [The Hill, 12/17/25]
- HEADLINE: "House Passes GOP Health Care Bill Without ACA Extension" [CBS News, 12/17/25]
The December 2025 Republican Health Care Bill Would Expand Association Health Plans, Which Would Result In Higher Underlying Premiums For Individuals And Small Businesses That Remained In ACA-Regulated Markets. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "It would expand association health plans (AHPs), a type of health plan that trade associations, professional groups, and other organizations may offer their members, to cover self-employed individuals and small businesses as if they were large employers. By allowing more people to enroll in coverage not subject to ACA standards and consumer protections, this would segment insurance risk pools: individuals who are younger and healthier, or small businesses with younger or healthier employees, could get plans with lower premiums because they would be priced separately from ACA-compliant coverage and wouldn’t have to meet ACA standards such as having to cover a set of essential health benefits. As a result, individuals and small businesses remaining in ACA-regulated markets would see higher underlying premiums." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 12/16/25]
The December 2025 Republican Health Care Bill Would Likely Lead To Higher Premiums For Older And Sicker Small Groups And Self-Employed People, Thereby Undermining Protections For People With Pre-Existing Conditions. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "In addition, the bill would undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions. While it would bar AHPs from rejecting individuals or charging them more based on certain health factors, it would give them greater ability to base a small group’s or self-employed person’s costs on their health risk compared to individual or small-group coverage. This would likely lead to higher premiums for older and sicker small groups and self-employed individuals, making such arrangements more attractive to healthier individuals and groups." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 12/16/25]
¶ florida had the highest number of affordable care act enrollees than any other state
Florida Was Home To More People Who Bought Plans Through The Affordable Care Act Than Any Other State. According to Florida Politics, "Florida is home to more consumers who buy plans through the Affordable Care Act than any other state, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Within the state’s Republican House delegation, there has been a hunger to find a plan to send to Trump." [Florida Politics, 1/20/26]
- 2025: 4.7 Million Floridians Enrolled In ACA Marketplace Plans. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2025, 4,735,415 people in Florida enrolled in an Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance plan. [Kaiser Family Foundation, Viewed, 2/16/25]
HEADLINE: "Florida Families Face Health Insurance Premium Spikes As ACA Tax Credits Expire" [WCTV, 12/17/25]
The Number Of Floridians Who Enrolled In ACA Plans In 2026 Dropped By 261,000 People After Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expired. According to the Apopka Voice, "The number of Floridians relying on a federal health care exchange established under the Affordable Care Act has dropped by more than 261,000 people after Republicans in Congress let the enhanced premium tax credits that help hold down coverage costs expire." [The Apopka Voice, 1/19/26]
¶ Bean’s Inaction Created A Dramatic “Subsidy Cliff”
The Expiration Of Enhanced ACA Premium Tax Credits Created A “Subsidy Cliff” Whereby If Households Earned Even $1 More Than A Specific Income Threshold They Could Lose All Eligibility For Assistance. According to CNBC, "For the first time in years, many Americans enrolled in a health insurance plan via the Affordable Care Act marketplace will need to keep a careful accounting of their annual income — or risk a hefty federal tax bill. Enhanced ACA subsidies lapsed at the end of 2025, leaving millions of households on the hook for higher insurance premiums. The lapse also reintroduced the so-called subsidy cliff, whereby households that earn even $1 more than a specific income threshold will lose all eligibility for subsidies, also known as premium tax credits. That income cutoff, which varies by family size, is $62,600 for a single person, $84,600 for a two-person household and $128,600 for a family of four in 2026, for example." [CNBC, 1/6/26]
- More Than Two Million Americans Had Incomes Near A “Subsidy Cliff.” According to CNBC, "More than 2 million people enrolled in an ACA marketplace plan have an income near the subsidy cliff. ACA enrollees also tend to have relatively volatile incomes, making it hard to predict their annual earnings, experts said." [CNBC, 1/6/26]
Households That Went Over The Income Limit Would Have To Pay Back Any Federal Assistance They Received For Premiums, Which Could Cost Thousands Of Dollars, When They Filed Their Taxes. According to CNBC, "Households over the limit would have to pay back any federal subsidies they received for premiums — potentially worth thousands of dollars — when they file taxes next year for 2026." [CNBC, 1/6/26]
Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill Exacerbated The Problem By Stripping Away Guardrails Capping The Amount Of Excess Subsidies Households Are Required To Repay. According to CNBC, "The potential financial impact is exacerbated by a multitrillion-dollar legislative package known as the ‘big beautiful bill’ that Republicans passed over the summer, which stripped away guardrails capping the amount of excess subsidies households must repay, experts said." [CNBC, 1/6/26]
¶ 22 Million Americans Relied On ACA Premium Tax Credits To Afford Health Insurance
Approximately 22 Million Americans Relied On ACA Premium Tax Credits To Afford Health Insurance. According to CNBC, "About 22 million Americans received premium subsidies, also known as premium tax credits, in 2025. Households can opt to receive the tax credit in one of two ways: As a lump sum during tax season or as an advanced payment. Under the latter option, by far the most popular, the federal government issues the tax credit directly to a consumer’s insurer, which then lowers the consumer’s out-of-pocket premium. Consumers receive those advanced ACA subsidies based on an estimated annual income they provide when signing up for insurance. They must reconcile those subsidies during tax season and repay any excess tax credits to the IRS." [CNBC, 1/6/26]