On November 18th, US President Trump explicitly stated that he would not support any legislation in Congress to extend the subsidies for the “Obamacare” enhanced version, and urged Congress not to “waste time and energy” on this issue.
In a post on the social media platform “Truth Social,” Trump emphasized that the only healthcare reform direction he could accept is to directly return subsidy funds to the American people, rather than continuing to channel funds to large insurance companies.
During the government shutdown, Trump had previously urged the Senate on November 8th to directly provide health insurance money to the public, bypassing health insurance companies.
“Obamacare,” also known as the “Obama Healthcare Reform,” or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has been a controversial topic in US healthcare policy.
In his post, Trump wrote in all caps, stating, “The only healthcare plan I would support or approve is to return the money directly to the people, and not let a penny go to those fat, oil-soaked insurance giants – these companies have already earned tens of billions of dollars, plundering the American people for long enough.”
He expressed that people should be allowed to negotiate and purchase “much better insurance” on their own, and proclaimed the slogan, “Power to the People!”
He also urged members of Congress to “not waste time and energy on anything else,” calling it the “only way to have great healthcare in America.”
Trump’s post on Tuesday is seen as a direct signal to Congress: any bill containing the extension of current “Obamacare” subsidies will be rejected.
Trump’s declaration comes as Senate Republicans prepare to vote on extending the “Obamacare” tax breaks. These enhanced subsidies were set to expire at the end of 2025, and without action from Congress, premiums for millions of Americans could face significant increases.
During the recent government shutdown crisis, Democrats had tried to force Republicans to commit to extending the subsidies, but only received a commitment from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (Republican from South Dakota) to separately vote on extending the tax breaks.
For a long time, Trump has advocated for the complete repeal of “Obamacare,” a stance that dates back to his first presidential term from 2017 to 2021. However, his alternative proposal – to directly provide subsidy funds to individuals for purchasing insurance – has also raised concerns among some.
Experts have warned that if insurance plan standards are relaxed and “skimpy” policies are allowed to be sold, it could lead to healthy individuals exiting the current market, leaving only high-risk individuals in the “Affordable Care Act” insurance pool, ultimately destabilizing the market or causing premiums to soar even higher.
Healthcare costs have always been one of the most challenging issues in the US Congress. Some within Congress have proposed assisting people in paying for out-of-pocket medical expenses through Health Savings Accounts, but Trump has not adopted this approach.