Posted on 11/24/2025 12:46:06 PM PST by Miami Rebel
President Donald Trump is delaying a planned announcement of a proposal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, according to two White House officials, after congressional Republicans pushed back against the president’s sudden embrace of the expiring subsidies.
Trump was expected to unveil a plan aimed at halting ACA premium spikes on Monday, as first reported by MS NOW. But the reveal has been postponed — though not canceled — said the White House officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss the internal strategy.
Both White House officials noted that Trump’s announcement — which was never officially on the schedule — would take place soon. But they acknowledged the initial plan, which would have sought to end “surprise premium hikes” for those on Obamacare programs, was being actively reworked.
“Until President Trump makes an announcement himself, any reporting about the Administration’s healthcare positions is mere speculation,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said.
While the White House sought to downplay the seriousness of the delay, Republicans indicated they were surprised and angered by a plan that would help preserve the Affordable Care Act.
“I wasn’t expecting the proposal to be Obamacare-lite,” a conservative House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-released plan. “Absolutely not supportive of extending ACA subsidies.”
“I’ve talked to enough [Republicans] to know that people weren’t expecting this and aren’t happy about it,” this lawmaker added. “I don’t see how a proposal like this has any chance of getting majority Republican support. We need to be focused on health care, but extending Obamacare isn’t even serious.”
Another conservative House Republican, who also requested anonymity to speak candidly about the proposal, told MS NOW that lawmakers knew the White House was working on something. “But not with a primary focus on the subsidies,” this Republican said.
‘I wasn’t expecting the proposal to be Obamacare-lite,’ said a conservative House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-released plan. ‘Absolutely not supportive of extending ACA subsidies.’
The White House appears not to have sought significant input from Capitol Hill on the plan, with Republicans who spoke to MS NOW suggesting that most lawmakers were unaware the administration’s health care proposal would include an extension of the subsidies. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were expected to be briefed for the first time on the plan Sunday afternoon.
The delay comes as the president — and Hill Republicans — are caught in a bind over health care. Covid-era subsidies for nearly 22 million Americans who get their health insurance through the ACA exchanges are set to lose those plans at the end of the year, a change that would cause massive price spikes in red and blue states alike.
Thune promised a vote on extending the subsidies to Democrats, who agreed to end the recent government shutdown as long as they secured a vote to extend them.
Despite the lack of an official announcement, some Republicans who were learning the broad strokes of Trump’s plan from the media were not especially happy with it.
“I would absolutely NOT be supportive of that,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told MS NOW of extending the subsidies on Monday morning. “Since I last checked, Covid has been over for some time. This is definitely not the DOGE thing to do,” he added, referring to the cost-cutting agency formerly run by president adviser Elon Musk.
Other Republicans were more succinct. When MS NOW asked fellow Freedom Caucus member Greg Steube, R-Fla., if he would be supportive of the White House health-care proposal, he had a two-letter response: “No.”
Another conservative House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-released plan, told MS NOW they were also skeptical of the idea.
“Fix health care for working Americans or don’t talk to me about subsidies,” this lawmaker said.
Trump’s proposal — whatever it may end up being, and whenever it may end up coming — would mark a significant development in the ongoing health care discussion in Washington. If Republicans suddenly relented and agreed to extend the ACA subsidies, even in a slightly modified form, that would mark a significant win for Democrats.
For weeks, Republicans have railed against extending the subsidies, arguing that Obamacare is broken and that extending the subsidies would amount to padding the coffers of insurance companies.
“I’m not putting a Band-Aid on something that’s broken,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told reporters last week.
“people with health spending in the top 1% had average spending of $166,980 per year”
[That’s not going to be covered by $6,000 put into an HSA for 2026.]
“Roughly 14% of the population had $0 in health expenditures in 2021”
Specifically, the RSC Health Care Plan will:
PROTECT Americans with pre-existing conditions
Extend HIPAA portability and pre-existing condition protections that have long benefited Americans with employer-sponsored insurance to people moving into the individual marketplace.
Establish federally-funded, state-administered Guaranteed Coverage Pools to ensure individuals with high-cost illnesses have access to quality and affordable coverage.
Repackage existing funding for ACA premium subsidies and Medicaid expansion to fund state-administered flex-grants to subsidize health insurance for low-income individuals.
Reduce regulatory barriers to give Americans access to quality care.
EMPOWER Americans with greater control over their health care decisions and dollars
Reform the tax code to provide equal tax treatment in the employer and individual health insurance markets.
Unleash Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by empowering Americans to use their money – tax-free – to cover more health-related expenses including insurance premiums, direct primary care service fees, and health sharing ministry dues.
Increase allowable, pre-tax contributions to HSAs from $3,500 to $9,000 for individuals and from $7,000 to $18,000 for families.
PERSONALIZE health care to meet individual needs
Eliminate ACA mandates forcing Americans to pay more for coverage they do not want or need.
Enhance HSAs in a way that allow for individuals to effectively own their personalized health care plans so they can take their plan from job to job.
Embrace and remove barriers on innovative health care solutions such as telemedicine, direct primary care, association health plans, and health sharing ministries.
https://rsc-pfluger.house.gov/framework-for-personalized-affordable-care
That’s probably the best official Republican plan I’ve seen.
You don’t fix a system as corrupt as ObamaCare because the fix will still be as horrendously corrupt as the original.
Well, what are they waiting for exactly? I’m sure that Trump will encourage them to move forward, but last time he told them to so so, they had nothing.
“There are so many reasons unconstitutional gov’t healthcare should be abolished.”
Would that include Tricare?
This is the crux of the issue. A lot of GOP politicians don't want to repeal Obamacare. They want to run on the promise of repealing Obamacare "in the next election" until the sun burns out.
Perhaps:
PARTIAL ENHANCED SUBSIDY CONTINUATION [for 2026 & 2027]
Except as required by the Fair Share PPACA premium minimums below, the monthly to be paid on a plan would not exceed the Schumer formula amount by more than 1.5 times the household’s income in percentage terms of FPL exceeds 90% FPL in terms of dollars.
If the household’s income is 400% of FPL, the percentage difference is 310% and increase would typically be capped at $465/month.
If the household’s income is 300% of FPL, the percentage difference is 210% and increase would typically be capped at $315/month.
FAIR SHARE PPACA PREMIUM MINIMUMS
I would impose premium minimums of the higher of:
1. 1/65th of the Medicare Part B premium amount per insured year of age as of the start of coverage
2. one-tenth the percentage of the policy premium of the household income’s as a percentage of FPL.
For a 5-year-old, 7-year-old, 32-year-old and 34-year-old, the ages would sum to 88 and the monthly absolute minimum premium amount would be a (88/65)*$185 or $250.46.
For a 5-year-old kid and a 27-year-old mom the ages would sum to 32 and the monthly absolute minimum premium amount would be (32/65)*$185 or $91.07.
For the second minimum, a family whose income is 300% of FPL would have to pay at least 30% (one-tenth of 300%) of the cost of the policy.
[NOTE: About half the premium is to subsidize unhealthy people. Paying 30% is covering well over 60% of true risks of most insureds.]
Insurers could waive the minimums for up to 20% of their PPACA policy holders after the first month’s premium is paid provided a $20 financial review fee is paid upfront. Waivers may not be granted in any space open to insureds (to prevent racial discrimination and threats). Insurers need not waive for the entire remaining term.
true. Obamacare has been a great punching bag, but time and again Republicans have balked at providing an alternative.
I agree. 😁🤙
Is he going to denounce them, too, as traitors?
“Cassidy said his proposal would allow people who purchase bronze plans on the ObamaCare exchanges to receive a prepaid Health Savings Account, funded in part by the lapsed enhanced subsidies.
“Bronze plans have lower premiums but higher deductibles. They are the only ObamaCare plan eligible for HSAs; Trump’s tax bill changed the rules so that all bronze plans are eligible for HSAs starting Jan. 1.”
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5611836-trump-republicans-aca-subsidies-health-care-plan/
NOTE: I’m just posting what I’ve read. I don’t claim any understanding of it.
https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/the-new-aca-repeal-and-replace-health-savings-accounts/
NOTE: I don’t understand this either.
Once and always PMSNBC...
“provided that the State maintains an invisible
high-risk insurance pool or another program de
signed to mitigate risk to insurance premium costs.”
https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/files/A825A3CA-ADE1-4E2D-8F5D-7E98D65BA27A
“Trump Health Freedom Accounts” is catchy, but that’s Scott’s term, not the administration’s.
Have they held any hearings? Are congressional Republicans actually crafting a plan to (finally) repeal Obamacare? I don't think they are.
Yep
Yep. I remember back before Trump was first elected, a reasonable liberal friend of mine was supportive of me, and told me, "Trump is in favor of single payer healthcare."
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