Overview
- Trump has proposed sending Affordable Care Act subsidy dollars directly to individuals as cash so they can purchase what he claims would be better insurance.
- Critics counter that major insurers sell similar products on and off the exchanges and note ACA rules guarantee preexisting-condition coverage, essential benefits, and bans on annual or lifetime limits.
- A Washington Examiner commentary argues Republicans have opposed the ACA for about 15 years without producing a concrete replacement policy.
- Roughly 45 million lower-income Americans depend on ACA coverage and KFF polling cited in the reporting shows 64 percent view the law favorably.
- Enrollment growth has been strongest in GOP-led states such as Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, and analysts warn cash payments without reliable annual adjustments could erode affordability as Congress weighs the next subsidy decision.