The president said negotiations were underway with Democrats that could produce ’very good things’ with respect to health care.
President Donald Trump is open to making a deal on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which has been a key demand of Democrats in the standoff over temporary funding of the federal government.
“We are speaking with the Democrats, and some very good things could happen with respect to health care,” Trump told reporters on Oct. 6.
When asked if he would make a deal on the ACA subsidies, Trump said, “If we made the right deal, I’d make a deal, sure.”
In response, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on social media, “This isn’t true.”
“If Republicans are finally ready to sit down and get something done on health care for American families, Democrats will be there—ready to make it happen,” Schumer wrote.
The subsidies in question are the enhanced premium tax credits, instituted during COVID-19, which expanded use of the ACA Marketplace—instituted by former President Barack Obama’s health care law, also known as Obamacare—to middle-income Americans.
Enrollment in the ACA Marketplace rose from 11 million before the enhanced subsidies were introduced to 24 million by 2025.
Intended to be temporary, they are set to expire at the end of 2025.
Democrats have proposed making the enhanced subsidies permanent, arguing that millions of people depend on them and that their expiration will disrupt insurance markets, raising premiums for most Americans.
Some Republicans favor a one-year extension.
However, many Republicans see the enhanced subsidies as riddled with fraud and waste.
“The key to the ACA subsidies is to get back to pre-COVID policy and work on program integrity and waste,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters on Oct. 3.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told reporters on Oct. 3: “You got folks that are really concerned about … the subsidies, and what they look like, and what you can do to eliminate some of the fraud that’s already been identified within the COVID-related subsidies.
“So this is not going to happen in one or two days.”
Commenting on the ACA subsidies, Trump said, “It’s billions and billions of dollars that’s being wasted, and we can have a much better health care than we have right now.”
