November 28, 2025

Populist Trump Attacks Health Plans

President Donald Trump has turned to attacking health plans in the wake of a concerted effort from Democrats accusing him and the GOP of not doing enough to tackle affordability. Trump was thought to be preparing an enhanced subsidy extension plan, but it is either delayed or won’t happen due to opposition from GOP conservatives in Congress. Trump is said to have supported a two-year extension with some reforms of the enhancements along with introducing subsidies for Health Savings Accounts for some to use.

In a recent social media post he directed his ire on healthcare affordability to health plans, saying: “The only healthcare I will support or approve is sending 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.” Of course, that is not true.

But Trump may have the pulse of the nation. A recent poll determined 63% of those surveyed saying insurance companies were the most responsible for medical debt and 76% saying they want the country to switch to a different health insurance system in which they can be unemployed or self-employed and still remain insured. And 74% in a poll said they were in favor of Congress extending the credits rather than letting them expire. But when asked if they should be extended when reminded they were enhanced during the COVID pandemic, support drops dramatically.

But the public is not aware of the fact that health plan margins fell to 0.8% last year. Another analysis found negative earnings from 2019 to 2024, with other healthcare entities doing much better.