House Advances Health Care Package as SHRM Members Urge Congressional Action

The U.S. House of Representatives has advanced a health care package focused on affordability, transparency, and market flexibility, marking a new phase in the congressional debate over the future of health coverage as enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA)premium subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year.

This is an important moment for HR voices to be heard. We invite you to visit SHRM’s Advocacy Action Center to engage with your lawmakers and reinforce the need for health care policies that improve affordability, expand choice, and strengthen coverage for workers and workplaces.

The House action follows months of heightened attention to health care policy, including a 43-day federal government shutdown that underscored deep divisions over coverage, costs, and the role of subsidies. While the shutdown has ended, the affordability challenges facing employers, workers, and families remain unresolved.

Throughout this period, SHRM members have been actively engaged, writing to lawmakers and urging Congress to move beyond stalemate and work toward pragmatic, sustainable solutions that protect access to care while addressing rising costs. Member outreach has emphasized the need for consensus and predictability, so employers can continue offering competitive benefits and supporting workforce participation.

The House bill does not extend enhanced ACA subsidies but includes several long-standing policy proposals of interest to employers. These include expanding access to Association Health Plans (AHPs) to help small businesses band together and leverage greater purchasing power; codifying employer flexibility through tax-advantaged arrangements that support employee coverage; and advancing transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers to shed light on prescription drug pricing practices. The bill also restores federal funding for ACA cost-sharing reductions, a move that could affect certain marketplace premiums.

From SHRM’s perspective, employer-sponsored coverage remains the most stable and effective source of health insurance for working Americans. However, employers—particularly small businesses—continue to face escalating costs driven by medical inflation, limited competition, and opaque pricing. SHRM believes lasting affordability will require structural reforms that expand choice, increase transparency, and promote competition, rather than relying solely on short-term policy fixes.

The legislation now faces a challenging path in the Senate, where further debate is expected to extend into early 2026, potentially through the budget reconciliation process which allows expedited consideration of legislation with fewer hurdles to passage. SHRM will continue engaging with policymakers, amplifying employer voices, and keeping members informed as the debate evolves.

As Congress considers next steps, SHRM remains focused on advancing solutions that strengthen employer-sponsored coverage, improve affordability, and support a resilient, competitive workforce—priorities consistently echoed by SHRM members across the country.