On December 17, 2025, the House passed H.R. 6703, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, a Republican-led proposal to address health care affordability. The bill includes provisions to enhance association health plans, fund cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments, expand eligibility for bronze catastrophic plans, and implement pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms. Notably, it does not include an extension of the enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans, which expired on January 1, 2026.

Several moderate House Republicans had been negotiating with Republican leadership to allow a vote on an amendment to H.R. 6703 that would provide either a clean one-year extension of the EPTCs or a two-year extension with reforms to income limits and eligibility verification. On December 15, these negotiations fell through, and as a result, four of the moderate Republican members signed onto a Democratic-led discharge petition for a clean three-year extension of the EPTCs, giving the petition enough signatures to force a floor vote in January. A vote on an extension of EPTCs could take place as soon as January 7, 2026. While it is possible for the EPTCs to be extended retroactively, implementation could be complicated.

Although the three-year extension of EPTCs may pass the House, it faces significant hurdles in the Senate, where it must clear a 60-vote threshold. A three-year extension has already failed in the Senate by a 51-48 margin, making it unlikely that the House bill will succeed. 

With Congress’ return to Washington, DC this week, bipartisan negotiations in both chambers are expected to continue to find compromise for a short-term extension. 

Meanwhile, House and Senate appropriators are negotiating a three-bill minibus package, beginning with the Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior-Environment, and Energy-Water funding packages, as part of efforts to meet the January 30 deadline. The bill could reach the House floor for a vote as soon as January 8. Appropriators hope that this will provide momentum to pass the remaining appropriations bills, including Labor-HHS-Education, before January 30 in order to avoid another partial continuing resolution (CR).  

Impact on General Dentistry: The expiration of EPTCs will likely increase premiums and out-of-pocket costs for some patients, reducing their ability to afford elective and preventive dental care. This may result in delayed care, increased reliance on emergency treatment, and worsening oral health outcomes.