By Maddie Mason, Senior Associate, Policy 

In the first 100 days of his Administration, President Joe Biden has released both the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan. Congress has not acted on either of these packages yet, but it is expected that there will be some action soon.  

American Jobs Plan 

On March 31, the Biden Administration released the $2.3 Trillion American Jobs Plan. This Plan includes several provisions that would enhance the health and well-being of people with chronic diseases and disabilities, including: 

• Expansion of Medicaid home and community-based services to help Medicaid beneficiaries get the care they need in a place they want to be;   
• Extension of the “Money Follows the Person” program in order to help people live in their communities and get the care they need instead of having to live in a facility to receive care;  
• Modernization of the Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics to improve the quality of care for veterans;   
• Universal broadband access by 2030 and efforts to make broadband more affordable, which are crucial steps toward achieving equitable expansion of telehealth; and  
• Investment in infrastructure, such as transportation, housing, and clean water, which can help address social determinants of health. 

Read the National Health Council’s (NHC’s) statement on the American Jobs Plan here. 

American Families Plan 

The $1.8 Trillion American Families Plan, that was released on April 28, included two important health-related provisions:   

• Permanently extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that were included in the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan ensured that enrollees would not have to pay more than 8.5% of their annual income towards health coverage, decreased from nearly 10%. Additionally, lower-income policyholders would be eligible for subsides that would eliminate their premiums.  
• Providing additional paid Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) since it expired from the American Rescue Plan in December 2020. This proposal would give workers 12 weeks of guaranteed paid parental, family, and personal illness leave.  

Read the NHC’s statement on the American Families Plan here.  

The NHC will continue to monitor Congressional Activity around both proposals. If you have any questions regarding either the American Jobs Plan or American Families Plan, please reach out to the NHC’s Vice President, Policy & Government Affairs Eric Gascho.