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President Trump expresses support for Patty Murray's health care deal

File: Getty Image / Stephen Brashear / Stringer

President Donald Trump is expressing support for an agreement struck by two leading lawmakers — Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) — to extend federal payments to health insurers.

Trump halted the insurers' payments last week, but has said he wants a bipartisan deal to continue them temporarily.  According to Trump, the White House has been involved in what he calls a "short-term deal." He said he still thinks a system where funding is given to states through federal block grants is the best long-term plan.

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Alexander told reporters that Trump encouraged him to work with Murray on a deal, according to The New York Times. Their plan temporarily restores money subsidizing health care insurance for poorer Americans.

In addition to funding the payments to insurers, the deal would also give states “more flexibility in the variety of choices they can give to consumers.”

According to Alexander, the next step will be for him and his negotiating partner, Sen. Murray, to win enough support from colleagues to push it through Congress.

President Donald Trump's decision last week to end a provision of the Affordable Care Act that lowered out-of-pocket medical costs brought swift reaction Friday from the states – including Washington.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson joined 20 states in filing a lawsuit over a health care order made by Trump, who said he would end the cost-sharing reduction subsidies (CSRs).

At issue is a federal subsidy for deductibles and copays that helps lower costs for consumers with modest incomes. Last week, the Trump administration and many Republicans say the government cannot legally continue to make the so-called cost-sharing payments.

According to Ferguson, Trump’s decision would have raised premiums for thousands of Washingtonians.

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