Trump Says Obamacare Extension ‘May Be Necessary,’ But Prefers Direct Payments to Americans
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that while he’d prefer not to extend Obamacare subsidies, a short-term extension “may be necessary” as part of broader negotiations on health care reform.
The subsidies, a key feature of the Affordable Care Act, are set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats have made their extension a top priority during recent government shutdown talks, while Republicans remain split — with some eager to let them lapse and others open to compromise.
Speaking aboard Air Force One while traveling to Florida, Trump pushed back on reports that he planned to extend the subsidies for two years.
“I’d rather not. Somebody said I want to extend them for two years. I don’t want to extend them for two years,” the president told reporters. “I’d rather not extend them at all. Some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done because the ‘Unaffordable Care Act’ has been a disaster.”
Instead, Trump floated an alternative plan centered on cutting out health insurance companies altogether and giving funds directly to Americans.
“I like my plan the best. Don’t give any money to the insurance companies; give it to the people directly. Let them buy their own health care plan,” Trump said. “And we’re looking at that. If that can work. We’re looking at that. That’s sort of taking off. That’s what I like. Don’t give the money to the insurance companies.”
The president emphasized that rising health care premiums were the fault of Democrats, but hinted at bipartisan discussions behind the scenes.
“It’s very interesting. I can’t tell you who, but we have a lot of Democrats who want this plan to happen. They would love to see the money go to the people and the people go out and get their own health care.”
His comments came after a POLITICO report suggested the White House was preparing to offer a two-year extension of the subsidies as part of a broader deal. However, Trump appears to be holding firm on his preference for direct-to-consumer aid, rather than propping up what he called “the big, fat, rich insurance companies.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday that discussions were still ongoing.
“The president is having ongoing conversations with members of his administration, members of Congress, and private sector experts,” Leavitt said. “He will make recommendations for healthcare policy improvements in the near future.”
Trump reiterated his position in a November 18 social media post, writing in all caps: “THE ONLY PLAN I WOULD SUPPORT OR APPROVE WOULD BE ONE THAT SENDS THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING GOING TO THE BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHO HAVE MADE $TRILLIONS, AND RIPPED OFF AMERICA LONG ENOUGH.”
The Senate is expected to vote on the future of the Obamacare subsidies sometime in December.