President Donald Trump is backing a Republican proposal that would put as much as $1,500 directly into Americans’ health savings accounts, money they can use for medical expenses instead of lining insurance companies’ pockets.
The bill, led by Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mike Crapo of Idaho, gives $1,000 to Affordable Care Act enrollees ages 18 to 49, and $1,500 to those ages 50 to 64. The cash would go straight into Health Savings Accounts, not to insurers or government programs.
On Air Force One, Trump made it clear he supports the idea for one reason: the money goes to the people, not health industry giants. “I like the concept. I don’t want to give the insurance companies any money,” he said. “They’ve been ripping off the public for years.”
To qualify, a person must have a bronze or catastrophic plan on the ACA marketplace and earn up to 700 percent of the poverty level, up to $105,420 for a single filer and up to $218,400 for a family of four. Silver, gold, and platinum enrollees wouldn’t receive the payouts.
Trump says the plan puts Americans in control of their own coverage. “I want to give the people better health insurance for less money,” he told Politico. “The people will get the money, and they’re going to buy the health insurance that they want.”
The funds could only be used for out-of-pocket costs and could not pay for abortion or gender-transition procedures. It is a one-time payment that still requires congressional approval.
Millions of marketplace users could qualify, giving Republicans a policy to run on as affordability dominates voter concerns heading into the 2026 midterms. Trump has recently hammered the issue on the campaign trail, keeping his message focused on prices, paychecks, and putting cash back into voters’ hands.
His rallies have drawn large crowds, including in rural Pennsylvania this week, where attendees waited for hours in freezing temperatures wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats and beanies. Many blamed today’s prices on Former President Joe Biden while crediting Trump for efforts to bring costs down.
“Personally, yes, prices are high right now… but things have to get worse before they get better,” said Brianna Shay, 26, who held a sign reading “Trump Gives Us Hope.” She echoed President Donald Trump, saying, “Unfortunately, the president before really screwed us, really bad.”
Inside the packed hall, Trump told supporters that prices are falling as his policies take hold, drawing cheers and boos when he mentioned Biden. One woman yelled, “I hate Joe Biden!”
Supporters said they trust Trump to tackle rising costs. “Things are a little difficult, people are struggling,” said Tevin Dix, 30, noting he believes tariffs are already forcing more jobs back to the United States. “If the tariffs continue to keep pounding… put more Americans back to work,” he said.
Others insisted the media is exaggerating economic doom. “Just past Black Friday was the biggest sales ever. If everybody’s broke, I don’t know where the money came from,” said 70-year-old retiree Mark Johnson, holding a cardboard cutout of Trump in a Santa hat. “You can’t cure everything overnight. It’s gonna take a while.”
With Republicans aiming to keep control of Congress, Trump is betting big on a message that hits the wallet: give Americans money to spend on health care the way they choose and stop sending billions to insurance companies that “have been ripping off the public for years.”
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