Trump says he's talking to Democrats about direct health care payment plan
Source: The Hill
11/17/25 8:38 AM ET
President Trump said he is talking with Democrats about a direct health care payment plan Sunday amid negotiations to tackle rising health insurance premiums. “I’ve had personal talks with some Democrats,” Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday before returning to Washington.
The president did not name the Democrats he said has been speaking to, but said he has talked to them “about paying large amounts of dollars back to the people.” The president has touted paying money from the insurance companies directly back to Americans, and letting them purchase their own health insurance.
Trump told reporters Sunday that everyone has “picked up” on the idea, including Democrats. “People love it,” the president said. The insurance companies are making a fortune,” he said. “Their stock is up over a thousand percent over a short period of time. They are taking in hundreds of billions of dollars, and they’re not really putting it back, certainly like they should.”
The president’s comments come as the Senate grapples with how to handle rising health insurance premiums now that the government shutdown has come to a close.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5608731-trump-democrats-direct-healthcare/
That's what "subsidies" are.
The only ones getting them are those who don't have an employer-provided insurance or other private insurance, and meet certain income-based criteria.
Why not also raise the minimum wage to be a living wage while you're at it.
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OLDMDDEM
(2,961 posts)mpcamb
(3,169 posts)
Traildogbob
(12,256 posts)Only Pay for premiums. What about high deductibles and balance AFTER premiums? He said he wanted to not give money to Greedy insurance. So where will the 100’s of thousands of dollars come from for surgeries and other costly procedures? Cash? What a “Moran”.
the nelm
(223 posts)does he? Paying premiums does not equal the supposed pooling effect of paying for actual medical expenses.
marble falls
(69,895 posts)
DinahMoeHum
(23,285 posts)
Vinca
(53,091 posts)And that no one is forced at gunpoint to buy their insurance from it?
gab13by13
(30,803 posts)Krasnov’s plan : healthy people will drop insurance and pay bills out of pocket leaving only sick people in Krasnov’s plan which will drive up premiums and make them unaffordable.
Krasnodar plan, don’t get sick, if you do , die quickly.
GB_RN
(3,479 posts)“I’ve had personal talks with some Democrats.”
The damned “journalists” are failing to do their goddamned jobs. They misunderstood/failed the assignment.
Were I one of those reporters, I’d have said, “What Democrats? House or Senate? Name them. Name them now, or we’ll say you’re lying because every time you started a tale with lines such as, “Some people,” “Many people,” “some say,” “A guy comes up to me and says, ‘Sir,’”, it’s been easily proven lie. EVERY time.”
AZ8theist
(7,002 posts)Remember when he said "Who knew how hard health care is"???
Newsflash: The IMBECILE in the WH STILL has no clue how to fix anything other than his off shore bank accounts.
Does anybody believe for one second this moron is going to fix a system set up decades ago to enrich billionaire CEOs of health insurance companies? They'll get rid of him faster than he can shank a golf shot into the woods.
GiqueCee
(3,107 posts)... that Nipplehead is too dirt stupid to take into account is: What's the learning curve for people to learn how to manage and incorporate these direct payments into their budgets so they actually work when and where they're needed? Do these payments come with an instruction manual, or even a few helpful hints? Probably not.
Sweet Christ on a pogo stick, he is SO fucking clueless. What a waste of skin, and an insult to the color orange.
For the eleventy-seventh time, just give us the same gold-plated healthcare we already pay for, but aren't allowed to benefit from, which is what members of Congress get for working less than 6 months a year.
popsdenver
(1,204 posts)that comes out of Trump's or any Republican's mouth is one of three things.
1) Hypocrisy
2) A flagrant or blatant outright lie
3) 180 degrees from the truth, or reality.
WASF
LonePirate
(14,316 posts)How much higher does the deductible need to be before it results in a lower monthly premium?
Marie Marie
(10,780 posts)which I'm sure they will not address. Plus - individual insurance costs waaaaaay more than group insurance. These guys are idiots and all the MAGA will hear is "money coming into MY pocket - I like it!!" Another scam - giving us money to put into a health savings account which does nothing for long term, catastrophic coverage. One way or another, they are determined to drop Obamacare - replace it with anything with Trump's name on it and it will SUCK - guaranteed.
Wiz Imp
(8,396 posts)"The president has touted paying money from the insurance companies directly back to Americans, and letting them purchase their own health insurance."
So the President is going to pay back money from the insurance companies (how is he getting money from the insurance companies to pay directly to Americans?) who will then use it to purchase their own health insurance. From Where?.....those same insurance companies. How in the hell is that supposed to save anyone any money? I mean, a 5-year old could tell you why this makes absolutely no sense.
ancianita
(42,689 posts)as Medicare Advantage is currently trying to do. In the name of improving the economy (for insurers), he's providing cover for his plans to end Medicare and after that, Social Security.
It's the P2025 chipping away at corporate privatizing of the whole country.
intrepidity
(8,547 posts)He'd probably be onboard with it. All about ego with him.
Bluetus
(2,041 posts)There is no cash payment large enough to protect pre existing conditions, No lifetime caps. Children under 25 on parent's police. Etc.
There is no cash payment large enough to protect a person against the abuses of an unregulated insurance industry. Just one event could cost a person $500,000, and without ACA, they could be kicked off their policy long before the company paid out the $500,000.
VMA131Marine
(5,131 posts)How often does he talk to “them.”
Karma13612
(4,897 posts)Anything else which involves “healthcare” insurance companies is just putting lipstick on a pig.
They are the problem. Get rid of them.
Make the US government fund a proper Medicare for All. If people can ever be made to sit still for 2 seconds and have it explained to them that a tiny tax on income while eliminating all copays and premiums and deductibles is the correct sane humane thing to do. It covers every person, cradle to grave, whether you are working or starting your own business or retired or unemployed or anything you can think of. People have to get over their ridiculous “I’m not payin’ for that strangers “fill in the blank” “ procedure. People in this country will donate money to strangers who start “Go Fund Me” accounts for medical needs, but they can’t stand the idea of just a very small tax on income.
And money from the government will go to the CARE GIVERS AND HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, where it should be all along.
Not the for-profit money hungry monstrous insurance companies. They are evil to their core.
No more denials, no more lifetime deductibles, etc. JUST CARE WHEN NEEDED.
So sick of this shite.
dingosatemyusername
(102 posts)that any tax for universal healthcare would be much less than what they are already paying
Karma13612
(4,897 posts)That is what I was trying to say, less eloquently.
The problem is, the angry part of their brains just shut down when they hear that we all chip in for the good of everyone.
I blame the media, government agencies, the insurance companies and legislators for this. No one seems to want to take the time to explain it clearly. The advantages would be mind blowing to the American people. But, the fear of something different coupled with the insurance company-driven misrepresentation of it is what’s standing in the way.
Heck, there were some things about signing up for Medicare back in 2019 that were never explained to me adequately. And I’m paying for it today. Literally.
I think the time is ripe for Universal Healthcare. It won’t happen, but I think the latest increases in premiums for everyone (both ACA and MCR) are tipping the balance just enough for people to cry uncle.
twodogsbarking
(17,027 posts)I think I know but I won't say.
PortTack
(35,803 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(131,512 posts)
dflprincess
(29,101 posts)would not include insurance companies. Payments would be made to providers like a single payer plan would do.
bmichaelh
(1,057 posts)If one wants not to pay the greedy insurers, there is one viable solution, Medicare for All or something similar.
Trump does not know how to specific.
He talks in generalities by saying "everyone".
No, everyone is not on board with his cruelty and stupidity.
For example, I have living with lymphoma for 35 years; I am in my third remission with maintenance treatments costing $1 million/year.
How is his "plan" going to take care of that.
RedWhiteBlueIsRacist
(1,597 posts)Just imagine all the Afterlife Advantage ads on TV. Take a hike God, who needs ya'!
RandySF
(80,216 posts)
C Moon
(13,366 posts)Blues Heron
(8,103 posts)
Septua
(2,944 posts)The "large amounts paid back to the people" would have to be very large.
The federal government spent an estimated $92 billion on ACA-related subsidies in 2023, a figure projected to reach $138 billion in 2025.
DallasNE
(7,934 posts)No mention of Medicaid or Medicare. Will he send checks to all of these beneficiaries as well? And what about all of the people who are not capable of navigating the purchase of private insurance? What you need is a marketplace = similar to the Affordable Care Act.
There is not enough time to build such a system before the end of the year. Additionally, the monthly premium is likely to exceed $2,000 per month, starting January 01, 2026. Is Trump ready to deposit $25,000 a year into people's bank accounts as they go looking for affordable insurance? The only viable option for 2026 is to extend the ACA subsidies for another year and then come back a year from now. Don't even try anything else.
Septua
(2,944 posts)Blame it on companies in business to make a profit. I guess he wants the insurers to give up some of their profits so he can increase the General Fund and get some refunds for the Trump Organization.
"Greed is good." (Gordan Gekko, "Wall Street." )
The question of whether health insurance companies' profits are exorbitant is a subject of intense public and political debate, with different data points leading to conflicting conclusions.
Arguments that Profits are Exorbitant
Massive Aggregate Profits: The six largest for-profit health insurers collectively reported billions in annual profits, with the top five bringing in over $371 billion in profits since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). UnitedHealth Group alone accounts for over 40% of that total.
Shareholder Payouts: A significant amount of revenue, at least $2.6 trillion from 2001-2022, has been diverted from patient care to shareholder payouts (dividends and stock buybacks) across the broader healthcare industry, including insurers.
CEO Compensation: Top executives receive high compensation packages; in 2024, the CEOs of the seven biggest publicly traded health insurers earned a combined $146.1 million.
Vertical Integration: Corporations that own the insurer, the doctors, and the pharmacies can turn every part of care into a profit center, which critics argue is at the patient's expense.
Perverse Incentives: The ACA requires insurers to spend at least 80% of premiums on medical care (Medical Loss Ratio, or MLR). Critics argue this can incentivize companies to increase total costs to make more money, as a 3% profit on a larger premium is more than on a smaller one.
Rising Premiums Amidst Denials: Insurers have pushed for significant premium hikes even while they deny a large number of claims, leading to accusations that they prioritize profits over patient care.
Arguments that Profits are Not Exorbitant (Low Margins)
Low Net Profit Margins: When viewed as a percentage of total revenue, health insurers' profit margins are often cited as relatively low compared to other healthcare sectors like pharmaceuticals. Typical estimates place health insurer margins around 3%-6%. In 2024, the industry's average profit margin fell to a decade-low of 0.8% due to increased medical costs.
Underwriting Losses Offset by Investments: In some periods, the industry has experienced underwriting losses (paying out more in claims than collected in premiums), which were offset by investment income to remain profitable.
Subsidizing Government Programs: Some analyses argue that commercial insurers help subsidize payment deficiencies from government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, suggesting they aren't the primary villains for overall healthcare costs.
Ultimately, the perception of "exorbitant profits" often depends on whether one focuses on the overall dollar value of profits and shareholder payouts (which are large and increasing) or on the percentage of profit relative to total revenue (which can be a smaller margin than in other industries).
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(131,512 posts)He's been known to do that quite a bit.
Aussie105
(7,473 posts)Nuke those 'for profit' hospitals and health insurance companies, nationalize free healthcare?
Government owns the hospitals, employs the staff, wears the cost of the health system.
User pays nothing.
Other countries did this a while back.
Australia certainly does, mostly - dental, optical and a drive in ambulance still costs.
You can buy private health insurance, but it is optional.
The private hospitals have softer mattrasses, better meals and cuter nurses. 8-)
Diraven
(1,763 posts)To get rid of the whole concept of insurance and go back to everyone paying their entire medical bills out of their own pockets. The only people this would help are healthy people who don't need doctors.
Hugin
(37,202 posts)My guess is because it’s in the same league with the Chinese soy agreement. Horse sh*t.
Snoopy 7
(709 posts)But, what I see as the main problem is that insurance companies would rake in the coals. Right now we have the power of the masses to keep rates down. We also have the power to question and fight due to the millions on the ACA. If everyone has a "direct health care" then we have to fight for our coverage and cost. Individuals don't have the money to fight corporate lawyers and administration. We will be so screwed...
mdbl
(7,912 posts)It will always cost too much. Direct payments won't help. Spurring competition in business is one thing, but when you're talking about people living or dying it's ridiculous.
Hotler
(13,681 posts)Smilo
(2,005 posts)he is lying. He just can't tell the truth and no one should ever take him at his word.