Washington, May 20: US President Donald Trump has told advisers that he wants to end payments of key Obamacare subsidies, a media report said.
However, many senior administration officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, oppose the move because they worry it would backfire politically if people lose their insurance or see huge premium spikes and blame the White House, sources familiar with the issue told Politico news on Friday.
Trump has said that the bold move could force Congressional Democrats to the table to negotiate an Obamacare replacement. Trump has previously expressed conflicting opinions on the issue.
The payments, estimated at $7 billion for this year, go to insurance companies to reduce deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers – an estimated 7 million people in 2017. In a statement, the administration said the White House has told Congress it will continue the payments through May but no commitment has been made beyond that. “No final decisions have been made at this time, and all options are on the table,” the statement added. (IANS)
