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Riley Unveils Bipartisan Plan to Lower Healthcare Costs and Protect Coverage for Upstate New York Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Josh Riley is introducing a bipartisan proposal to stop premium hikes, protect families’ health coverage, and keep healthcare affordable in Upstate New York. CommonGround2025 includes a two-year extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), which — after passage of Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill,” H.R. 1 — are set to expire on December 31, 2025.

“Washington politicians jammed through a budget that kicks millions off their health insurance, raises monthly premiums on working families, and puts rural hospitals across Upstate New York at risk,” Rep. Riley said. “I’ll work with anyone in either party to fix this. That’s what this proposal does. It’s a straightforward, bipartisan plan to restore affordable healthcare. I’m urging Speaker Johnson to bring it to the House floor before the December recess so families enter the new year with certainty, not fear about losing the care they depend on.”

Riley’s full remarks are available via CSPAN, provided here by the Office of US Rep. Josh Riley. 

Under H.R. 1, the ACA’s enhanced Premium Tax Credits are set to expire on December 31, 2025 — a change that would push millions off their health insurance and drive monthly premiums sharply higher. If Congress doesn’t act, families across the country face steep premium increases and, in many cases, the loss of the coverage they rely on.

ACA ePTCs also help fund New York’s Essential Plan, which provides no-cost coverage for low- and middle-income residents. When those credits expire, federal funding for the Essential Plan will plummet. Reporting from NYSFocus shows the cuts in H.R. 1 would push hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers off the program and leave some families facing premium hikes of more than $10,000 a year.

CommonGround2025 puts a bipartisan fix on the table. It extends ePTCs for two years, keeps open enrollment running through March 19, 2026, and strengthens fraud protections in the ACA marketplace. Lawmakers are urging congressional leaders to bring it to a vote by December 18, 2025. Find the CommonGround 2025 framework here.

This action builds on Riley’s ongoing push to defend healthcare in Upstate New York:

  • April 2025: Supported the Protecting Options for Seniors Act (H.R. 2610) to ensure fairer reimbursement rates for rural hospitals.
  • May 2025: Requested over $55 million for rural infrastructure and community health projects for Fiscal Year 2026.
  • July 2025: Opposed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) that cut Medicaid and threatened hospital closures.
  • August 2025: Co-sponsored the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act (H.R. 3063) to provide $500 million in emergency support for rural hospitals.
  • November 2025: Sent letters to the CEOs of UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and CVS Health demanding answers for their decision to drop Medicare Advantage plans in rural communities across Upstate New York.

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