The deadline for extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies is approaching this month. This is happening even as consumers who depend on the ACA Marketplace are faced with the tough decision. Should they forego health plans that will no longer be affordable for them once the subsidies expire or hope that Congress will reach a bipartisan agreement to extend the subsidies until workable alternatives can be hashed out and approved? This issue was the primary focus for the latest episode of the Debunked podcast, hosted by MedCity News Editor-in-Chief Arundhati Parmar and Samir Batra, managing partner of Health Innovation Pitch.
With 93% of ACA Marketplace plan members (22 million people) relying on tax credits set to expire at the end of the year and open enrollment scheduled to close December 15, “We’re between a rock and a hard place,” as Arundhati aptly put it. At the time of recording, the Senate was expected to vote December 9 on whether to extend the subsidies.
Members of Congress, especially those up for re-election in 2026, understand the risks of rejecting subsidy extensions. Republican Senators Rick Scott of Florida, who led a company responsible for what was once considered the largest Medicare fraud in U.S. history, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have come up with proposals focused on making more use of healthcare savings accounts.
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The conversation also focused on the latest efforts to make drugs more affordable, particularly GLP-1 drugs. Discounting these costly drugs could pave the way for a big reduction in the prevalence of chronic diseases associated with obesity, which lines up with the MAHA initiative led by HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. But these efforts also raise questions. The drugs are only effective for keeping weight off if the people taking them also change their lifestyles to include more exercise and healthier diet options. There is also the question of whether drug development supply chains can match the demand.
This episode of Debunked closes out 2025. The next episode will air in February.
You can access the podcast here:
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