Vice President JD Vance on Thursday offered a bleak assessment of the American health care system.
“Look, right now the American people get crap health care, and they pay way too much for it,” Vance said at a Breitbart News event in Washington. “This system is broken. The Democrats broke it, but who cares. We’re going to work together if they’re willing to fix it.”
Vance said that President Donald Trump and Republicans “have a great health care plan coming together,” suggesting it will receive bipartisan support when it is unveiled.
The cost of health care has spiked dramatically over the past several decades. Prices are set to rise further next year as premiums soar and enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies expire on Dec. 31, 2025.
Democrats were unable to secure an extension of the tax credits during the 43-day government shutdown after eight senators broke ranks to sign the federal funding bill reopening the government.
As part of the deal, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) promised Democrats a vote on the ACA subsidies by mid-December.
The legislation would need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster, a prospect that appears unlikely. Trump has suggested an alternative approach: sending subsidy money directly to ACA enrollees.
“THE ONLY HEALTHCARE I WILL SUPPORT OR APPROVE IS SENDING THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE,” Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social.
According to Politico, the House Ways and Means Committee is “circulating a bill that would mimic President Donald Trump’s proposal to redirect health insurance subsidies directly to individuals.” The legislation would give ACA enrollees the ability to receive a portion of their federal assistance in their health savings accounts, or HSAs.
An analysis by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group, found that insurers are raising premiums by an average of 30% in states that use HealthCare.gov, and by around 17% in states that run their own marketplaces.
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