“House Republican leaders are rushing to release a new health care package Friday, but a morning meeting with members of key GOP faction left unsettled whether to allow a floor vote on extending expiring Obamacare tax credits,” Politico reports.

“Speaker Mike Johnson and other members of his leadership team want to file text of the health care legislation as soon as possible in order to comply with House notice requirements and prepare it to be take up by the House Rules Committee early next week. But the matter has been held up as they negotiate with conservative hard-liners who are wary of teeing up a vote to extend the expiring insurance subsidies.”

“Only a holiday miracle can prevent ObamaCare subsidies from expiring on Jan. 1, setting up a major health care fight next month when lawmakers turn their attention to a 2026 spending bill and another potential shutdown fight,” NewsNation reports.

“The Senate rejected dueling health care bills Thursday, all but guaranteeing that Obamacare subsidies used by more than 20 million Americans will lapse at the end of the year,” Politico reports.

“South Carolina’s measles outbreak is ‘accelerating’ in the wake of Thanksgiving travel and a lack of vaccinations, after authorities traced a sizable outbreak to a church in the state’s northwest,” the Washington Post reports.

Playbook: “The longest government shutdown in history was all for this: a Democrat-led vote in the Senate this morning on extending Obamacare subsidies that we already know is going to fail. The GOP alternative — bolstering health savings accounts — will also get a vote today, and yes, it too will fall short without bipartisan support.”

“Each side will then blame the other for blocking progress… and millions of Americans will see health care premiums soar at the end of the year.”

Punchbowl News: “On Wednesday, we outlined the many reasons to be skeptical about a bipartisan Senate health care deal coming together in the new year. Now, President Donald Trump says Hill Republicans ‘don’t need’ to pass a big legislative package in 2026 at all.”

“If that holds — and it’s a big ‘if’ given Trump’s penchant for changing his mind — it would be yet another sign that Congress will be unable to address soaring health care costs, a major policy and political problem for Republicans.”

Politico: “House Republicans just showed how divided they are over health care. Today’s Senate votes could expose the party’s strife even further.”

Playbook: “It’s looking all but certain that the Affordable Care Act subsidies — which have emerged as a campaign cudgel for Democrats and health care headache for Republicans — will expire at the end of the month. Though lawmakers have devised multiple solutions, none have brought real consensus.”

“Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are moving decisively away from extending key Obamacare tax credits that help more than 20 million Americans pay for health insurance — following direct cues from President Donald Trump while also stoking ire among many in the GOP who fear severe political repercussions,” Politico reports.

Senate Republicans will vote on a plan Thursday to replace enhanced Obamacare subsidies with new funds through health savings accounts for two years, Punchbowl News reports.

The bill will get a vote alongside a Democratic proposal to extend the subsidies for three years.

Neither proposal is expected to get 60 votes.

A new Morning Consult survey found that 58 percent of Americans say Congress should extend the Obamacare subsidies, while 24 percent say it should let them expire.

“Senate Republicans have no shortage of health care plans. The challenge is getting all 53 of them to rally behind one,” Politico reports.

“Three days before a high-profile vote on a Democratic proposal to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies, GOP senators are nowhere near coalescing behind any single alternative that could be put up alongside it. Instead, Republican leaders appear happy allowing their members to freelance, even as Democrats and some in their own ranks fume at the lack of clear direction.”

“For Republicans, the risk of proceeding Thursday with a side-by-side vote is clear. While Democrats say they will have their entire 47-member caucus behind the three-year extension, any GOP plan right now is likely to fall well short of complete unity — and highlight the divisions in their party.”

“A bipartisan group of House members is introducing a bill to extend the enhanced Obamacare subsidies for two years with new income limits and anti-fraud measures,” Punchbowl News reports.

“The bipartisan group is considering trying to force a House vote through a discharge petition. And they have a legislative vehicle they could use to speed up the process.”

“Yet using a discharge petition would be a long shot. It’s not clear if House Democratic leadership would back this compromise, which would need heavy support from their side to succeed. But lawmakers seeking an ACA patch — even if it can’t happen until after the subsidies expire on Dec. 31 — are turning to last-ditch plans as the deadline approaches.”

“Millions of Americans are confronting the highest health insurance costs in years. For those enrolling in Obamacare for next year, the plans will cover a considerably smaller fraction of their medical bills,” the New York Times reports.

“More and more people are discovering that their deductibles are rising significantly, worsening fears that they will no longer be able to pay for medical care. That’s on top of higher premiums; they could more than double.”

“With affordability increasingly out of reach, some people are facing the dire prospect of dropping their insurance altogether, even if they’re still eligible for subsidies. Others may forgo doctors’ visits or trips to the emergency room to avoid the expense.”

NPR: Republicans push high deductible plans and health savings accounts.

Senate Republicans are leaning toward not proposing an alternative to Democrats’ health care subsidies legislation during a much-watched floor vote this week, Semafor reports.