Pappas, Goodlander Introduce Bipartisan “CommonGround” Legislation to Address Skyrocketing ACA Premiums

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), with a bipartisan coalition of 38 total House Members, introduced the CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act based on the bipartisan health care framework they unveiled last week. Over 47,000 Granite Staters benefited from the expiring Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits and face increased health insurance costs if Congress does not act.

This bipartisan bill 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, new guardrails to prevent “ghost beneficiaries” and crack down on fraud, an extension of open enrollment, and PBM reform. The bill also requires a vote on a second year of continued health insurance premium savings, including more significant reforms, in the Senate and House by July 1, 2026.

“Affordability is not a hoax to the New Hampshire families facing massive increases to their health insurance costs next year. The first open enrollment deadline is in less than a week. Granite Staters cannot wait any longer for Congressional action on the expiring Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits. Congress must act now,” said Congressman Pappas. “I’ve come together with a bipartisan group of colleagues to get this done. Today we introduced legislation to deliver on health care, cut insurance premiums, and ensure families can make ends meet. I’ll continue to urge House leadership to immediately bring this bill to the floor.”

“Lowering the sky-high cost of healthcare is a matter of life or death for families across New Hampshire,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “Our commonsense, bipartisan bill will save the healthcare that tens of thousands of Granite Staters are at risk of losing this month, kickstart critical reforms to cut your costs, and crack down on the big corporations that are jacking up your healthcare costs.”

Find the CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act bill text here. 

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. The framework would also extend the open enrollment period for this year through March 19, 2026, as Pappas has led, with Goodlander joining, the call for the Department of Health and Human Services to do. 

Background:

In November Pappas led the call for the Trump administration to extend the ACA open enrollment period and subsequently introduced the Right to Enroll Act, which would require the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the enrollment period through May 1, 2026. As negotiations to extend these critical cost savings continue, Pappas’s legislation would ensure families aren’t forced to make decisions about their health care coverage for next year without sufficient time to consider their changing options. Pappas held a roundtable with leadership from Lamprey Health Care about the burden of these increased costs, during which they shared stories about the impact the lapse will have on their patients, as well as the news that the health center's annual premium to cover their staff is also expected to increase by 40% next year. Small businesses across New Hampshire are bearing these costs, including a manufacturer Pappas visited that expects to see a 38% increase in its health insurance costs next year due to the lapse of the tax credits.

Goodlander has dedicated her life to ensuring a fair deal for the people of New Hampshire. Since the devastating H.R.1 was first introduced, she has worked to deliver a bipartisan solution to the health care crisis, including by leading commonsense, bipartisan legislation, the Fix It Act, to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits for tens of thousands of Granite Staters who rely on them. She has also urged Senate leadership to engage in bipartisan discussions across both chambers to resolve the crisis of health care affordability.