Obamacare seems to be the never-ending plague. When the Affordable Care Act was passed, Republicans warned Americans that it would be a drain on our economy and strip Americans of quality healthcare. All true, but the problems got worse. As premiums soared, former President Joe Biden saw the COVID-19 pandemic as the perfect crisis to spend more money. Now that the extra funding is expiring, Democrats are scrambling to once again hide the exploding costs from the American people.
Biden’s COVID-era subsidy made Obamacare even more expensive. The Affordable Care Act already included a subsidy called the Premium Tax Credit to buffer the initial costs. The temporary subsidy was placed on top of the initial subsidy. The payment went directly to the insurance companies instead of the individuals who enrolled in the Obamacare exchange. Instead of the insurance companies responsibly using this money to drive down costs, they instead improperly enrolled 6 million more people — some without their knowledge. Nearly half of these enrollees never made a single healthcare claim during this time, which was triple the amount in years past. In 2024 alone, our tax dollars subsidized these ineligible enrollees to the cost of $35 billion.
Speaking of ineligible enrollees, Obamacare has given an open door to illegal immigrants to receive benefits from taxpayer-funded healthcare. The One Big, Beautiful Bill ensured that Americans would not pay for non-citizens who were taking advantage of our healthcare system. Democrats offered their own continuing resolution last month to open the government which included nearly $200 billion to allow these illegal aliens back into the system. Not only would this drain federal funds, but also incentivize more immigrants to pour over our borders.
The details get worse. Obamacare plans are paying for high-cost procedures that are not healthcare. In 2022, 24 states and Washington, D.C., offered Obamacare plans that cover elective abortion. Since the Affordable Care Act was created without any guardrails on abortion, taxpayers are footing the abortion bill. The temporary subsidies expanded this coverage, making it more affordable. Eagle Forum, along with nearly 90 organizations, called on Congress to protect life in Obamacare. Even after the subsidies expire, legislation such as the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act (H.R.7/S.186) must move forward for a long-term fix.
Gender mutilation procedures were also on the list of covered procedures. Insurance companies are defending hormone treatments and “gender reassignment” surgeries by claiming they are “medically necessary.” Simultaneously, sex offenders are eligible to receive taxpayer-funded Obamacare. Pedophiles have full access to these procedures to enter the private spaces of young girls and women. This is not just conjecture — a Northern Virginian man recently exposed himself to females in bathrooms, pool facilities, and recreational centers. However, police would not arrest him because he had a protected status for being transgender. The policies of Obamacare put our personal safety at risk.
Obamacare is clearly fraught with corruption and evil in which Americans are forced to fund. Even after the temporary subsidies expire, American taxpayers will foot the bill for 80% of Obamacare premium costs. This means that we are getting double-billed- one bill for the cost of our insurance premiums, and the other is from the federal government through our tax dollars.
How Republican lawmakers decide to handle this issue could be a determining factor in their elections next year. OnMessage found that two-thirds of Americans want all COVID-era programs to end. Americans for Prosperity also conducted a survey to see where Americans stand on extending these subsidies. The large majority were uninformed about the subsidies, with only 17% saying they have heard the chatter and an even smaller 2% understanding that they are about to expire. Democrats have left Americans in the dark about their harmful actions.
The survey goes on to show that allowing the subsidies to expire unites Republicans with half of that sample less likely to vote for a candidate who extends the subsidies. Republicans are more interested in other forms of healthcare such as tax-free health savings accounts (HSAs) and direct primary care. In general, 71% Americans are dissatisfied with the healthcare system even if they have employer coverage. Americans for Prosperity says this “creates fertile ground for reform arguments that move beyond defending the ACA subsidies.” Congress clearly can put Americans back in the driver’s seat of their healthcare, but first, they must overcome the Obamacare strain.
House and Senate Republicans have been on a roll creating policies this year that truly help the American people. They need your encouragement to continue this streak. Eagle Forum has created an alert for you to urge your Senators to refuse any compromise on extending the temporary Biden COVID subsidies. Visit our website here to make your voice heard!
