Trump Praises “Your Issue” as Congress Moves to Unveil Healthcare Deal Without ACA Subsidy Boost
Congressional negotiators are expected to unveil a bipartisan healthcare package on Monday afternoon, reviving key elements of a deal that collapsed in late 2024. The proposed legislation will not extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which expired at the end of 2025 and face resistance from Republican leadership.
The plan targets long-overdue priorities, including reforms to pharmacy benefit managers—intermediaries between drugmakers and insurers—and new limits on how hospitals bill for outpatient services. Supporters argue these measures will lower healthcare costs and reduce overbilling practices.
President Donald Trump emphasized the urgency of action during recent discussions with House Republicans, stating: “You’ve got to work something; you’ve got to use ingenuity.” He added: “I’m not sure that I’ve ever said anything that was more impactful. If you can somehow do that, you’re going to have this. This is going to be your issue.”
A separate Senate effort to renew ACA subsidies remains in progress but lacks sufficient Republican support. The bipartisan package under discussion includes multiyear extensions for community health center funding, expanded Medicare telehealth payment flexibility, and changes to Medicare Part D designed to prevent pharmacy benefit manager compensation from being tied to drug prices. Additional provisions would require unique identifiers for hospital outpatient departments to curb excessive billing practices.
If negotiations succeed, lawmakers plan to attach the healthcare package to the next government funding bill and advance it to a vote this month. Congress faces a January 30 deadline for extending current fiscal year appropriations.
