Health Provisions in the Reconciliation Package
The budget reconciliation package also includes several key health provisions including:

• $150 billion Medicaid coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
• $130 billion to lower ACA premiums for low-income individuals and funding to close the Medicaid coverage gap,
• $35 billion to cover hearing services under the Medicare program

Absent from the bill are the larger Medicare expansion provisions originally envisioned by Democratic leaders including lowering the eligibility age, dental and vision coverage under Medicare. Also absent from the final package is major policy to address prescription drug prices.

Final details, including how to pay for these major programs expansions, is still influx. The ATS is closely monitoring to see whether a new federal excise tax on e-cigarettes and increased excise taxes on other tobacco products will be part of the tax provisions in the final bill.