Congress Looks To Trump As ACA Subsidies’ Expiration Draws Closer
Mixed signals from the president are muddying the path forward on health care as Congress returns to session today. Also: Charities that help those with outstanding medical bills report seeing a troubling increase in requests for help, and they warn it could get worse as Medicaid cuts take effect.
Politico:
Congress Waits On Trump As December Health Sprint Begins
Congress returns to session Monday and kicks off a December sprint to address expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and prevent health insurance premium hikes for millions of Americans. Members of both parties acknowledge success hangs on one question: Will President Donald Trump ever figure out what he wants? (Carney, 12/1)
The Hill:
GOP Strategist Rove Stresses Need For Health Care Agenda
GOP strategist Karl Rove said Republicans need to have a health care agenda ahead of the midterm elections or they’ll be in “deep trouble” with their voters. In an interview Saturday on Fox News’s “Journal Editorial Report,” Rove said Republicans need to have a health care plan to share with voters next year, along with a clear economic message that addresses constituents’ concerns. (Fortinsky, 11/30)
The Hill:
Amy Klobuchar Foresees Senate Vote On ACA Health Subsidies Before 2026
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) predicted Sunday that the Senate will hold a vote on extending subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this year. “That vote will happen. And whether it will pass is in the hands of Donald Trump and the Republicans,” Klobuchar told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.” (Rego, 11/30)
KFF Health News:
Watch: Trump Considers Extending Obamacare Subsidies
Amanda Seitz, KFF Health News’ Washington health policy reporter, appeared on NewsNation’s NewsNation Live With Connell McShane on Nov. 24 to discuss President Donald Trump’s latest health proposal. Seitz noted that the plan — which has not been formally unveiled — could extend the expiring, more generous subsidies that help many Americans pay their share of Affordable Care Act premiums. But that extension would likely impose limitations sought by Republicans, including changes to eligibility for the enhanced assistance, she said. (Seitz, 12/1)
In related news —
The Hill:
Donald Trump Claims He Is 'The Affordability President' Ahead Of 2026 Midterms
President Trump on Saturday touted that drug prices have fallen under his administration, signaling that it will be a winning issue for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. “Because I have invoked FAVORED NATIONS STATUS FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DRUG PRICES ARE FALLING AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, 500%, 600%, 700%, and more,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. (Mancini, 11/29)
Politico:
Americans Are Buckling Under Medical Bills. It Could Get Worse
Charities that help people cover their medical bills say they’re seeing an alarming increase in requests for help. Worse yet, they say, it’s coming even before cuts to Medicaid in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect and the potential expiration of Obamacare subsidies at year’s end. The charities are warning of exploding medical debt and lower survival rates for diseases like cancer if Congress doesn’t act. (Chu, 11/27)
KFF Health News:
Medicaid Work Rules Exempt The ‘Medically Frail.’ Deciding Who Qualifies Is Tricky
Eliza Brader worries she soon will need to prove she’s working to continue receiving Medicaid health coverage. She doesn’t think she should have to. The 27-year-old resident of Bloomington, Indiana, has a pacemaker and a painful joint disease. She also has fused vertebrae in her neck from a spinal injury, preventing her from turning her head. Indiana’s Medicaid agency currently considers Brader “medically frail,” giving her access to an expanded set of benefits, such as physical therapy. (Liss and Whitehead, 12/1)
KFF Health News:
New Work Requirement Adds Red Tape To Missouri’s Snarled Food Aid System
Distributing food stamps soon could get even harder for Missouri’s food aid system, which a federal judge has already called “broken and inaccessible.” States depend heavily on federal funds to operate their food stamp programs, which help feed about 42 million people nationwide. But a new federal law has restructured the nation’s food assistance, requiring more people to work to qualify for aid and shifting more of the program’s cost onto states over the next decade. Meanwhile, many Americans are struggling to afford groceries, and state governments are straining to help them. (Liss, 12/1)
