Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump is expected to outline a new healthcare proposal aimed at preventing steep premium increases under the Affordable Care Act, urging Congress to advance legislation he can sign, according to White House officials cited by MS Now.
The announcement, described as a broad framework, could come as early as Monday at the White House and will include remarks from Trump and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the officials said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled the rollout on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, saying an announcement on healthcare costs would arrive this week.
“We believe health care is going to come down. We will see an announcement this coming week on that. And so across the board, prices are starting to come down,” Bessent stated.
One White House official told MS Now that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., were expected to be briefed on the plan.
According to both officials, the proposed “Healthcare Price Cuts Act” is designed to block major price increases under the ACA. The legislation would also end the ACA’s “zero-premium” subsidies, a provision Republicans have argued encourages “ghost beneficiaries,” or fraudulent enrollees. Under the plan, individuals would need to make a small payment to confirm eligibility for benefits.
The proposal is also expected to establish a deposit program to incentivize consumers to choose lower-cost coverage on the ACA exchange. Enrollees who switch to cheaper plans would have the savings deposited into a taxpayer-funded Health Savings Account.
The expected rollout comes as enhanced ACA subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year. Without congressional action, premiums could rise sharply for nearly 22 million people. A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a two-year extension last week.
Senate Republicans have agreed to hold a vote in mid-December on the subsidy extension, though its chances in either chamber remain uncertain.
