Cassidy Says He’s Working With White House to Redirect $26 Billion in ACA Subsidies to Patients
He casts the plan as lowering premiums by funding patient accounts, with state rate-setting complexities looming.
Overview
- The Louisiana senator said on Face the Nation that he is coordinating with President Trump to send enhanced premium tax credits directly to individuals rather than insurers.
- Cassidy described moving roughly $26 billion into patient accounts, arguing current subsidies route about 20% to insurer profit and administrative overhead.
- He said the approach targets high deductibles and would let consumers choose plans with lower premiums while using account funds for out-of-pocket costs.
- Cassidy warned that a straightforward extension of the enhanced credits could force rapid insurance rate recalculations in roughly half of states.
- Separately, he defended the birth-dose hepatitis B vaccine and cited evidence on ingredient safety and a large Swedish study finding no link between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism ahead of an expected ACIP review.