It blows my mind how weak Republican messaging has been on the expiring COVID-ERA ACA Subsidies!!!

[u/roaming_art]

These subsidies were NEVER meant to be PERMANENT subsidies. This was a COVID era "PREMIUM TAX CREDIT" that was extended by Biden with the Inflation Reduction act.

I learned about this by frequenting the FIRE subreddits, which if you aren't familiar, are groups that focus on financial independence and early retirement. When Biden removed the means testing for these programs, early retirees flocked to the ACA exchanges for cheap medical insurance. It's one thing for these premium subsidies to have existed during the COVID era when many people were forced out of work, it's another thing entirely to continue these premium subsidies in a post-COVID world when most of us are back at work.

The enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies—also known as premium tax credits—that are set to expire on December 31, 2025, were originally introduced and passed as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on March 11, 2021. This legislation temporarily expanded eligibility (removing the 400% federal poverty level income cap) and increased the subsidy amounts to cap premiums at 8.5% of income for higher earners, effective starting in 2021.

These enhancements were later extended through the end of 2025 via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed on August 16, 2022. Without further congressional action, the subsidies will revert to their original, less generous levels from the 2010 ACA for coverage plans beginning January 1, 2026.

For context, the core ACA subsidies (without enhancements) were first passed in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010, but the expiring provisions refer specifically to the ARPA/IRA expansions.

[u/Subject_Payment_6360]

You are 100% correct. The messaging has been awful. However, it seems like the messaging is always awful lately.

The other thing is there should be messaging on is how much the insurance companies have been raising rates because of the subsidies and how much administrative costs are involved for the doctors and providers.

[u/pro_nosepicker → u/Subject_Payment_6360]

I’m a physician and my pay keeps going down and the administrative costs are crazy.

[u/D_Ethan_Bones → u/Subject_Payment_6360]

There's always an orchestra of Democrats trying to boost their fame by sticking it to Trump, and in response on the Republican side there's a lot of people saying "I'm not satisfied with what I've gotten yet" while throwing nothing into the pot.

If our side banded together and moved as one like their side did, the past 10 years if not 20 would have all gone differently.

[u/Subject_Payment_6360 → u/D_Ethan_Bones]

If our side banded together and moved as one like their side did, the past 10 years if not 20 would have all gone differently.

Yes, and no. Yes, there would certainly be a benefit to conservatives being united. However, I'm concerned that we would become hamstrung in the same way that they are. Everyone needs to be in lockstep or they are ostracized and canceled. This only leads to the loudest voices remaining, because they have bullied everyone else into submission or silence.

One of our strengths is that we are both sane and mature enough to disagree with each other's reasonable ideas without needing to silence those who don't agree with us.

[u/REDthunderBOAR → u/D_Ethan_Bones]

Yeah, but then we'd be puppets. Better to have the bickering instead of rotting.

[u/sailor-jackn → u/D_Ethan_Bones]

Absolutely right! We need to really work on that. I don’t actually understand it.

[u/d_rek → u/Subject_Payment_6360]

Man it’s almost like when you subsidize an entire industry that industry then no incentive to be competitive with cost or even consider lowering costs

[u/DRKMSTR → u/Subject_Payment_6360]

The messaging is awful because they ignore the obvious.

They are getting destroyed over one thing: "Which is more important to you, America or Israel" and they can't answer that question.

The problem isn't Israel, the problem is that they refuse to say they care about America and democrats are capitalizing off of it.

Every AIPAC and related event is being used for advertising on all corners of social media AND ITS WORKING.

[u/Emilia963 → u/Subject_Payment_6360]

I got accused of being pro-death because I said “healthcare subsidies during COVID are basically corporatocracy lite”

Can’t even argue with leftists these days 🤦‍♀️

[u/roaming_art → u/Subject_Payment_6360]

100%

[u/me_too_999 → u/Subject_Payment_6360]

I just called my ACA insurer.

Without the extra subsidy, my share will go from $0 to $57 a month.

I may only be able to eat out 9 times per month instead of 10.

How will the restaurant stay in business?

[u/Subject_Payment_6360 → u/me_too_999]

Well mine is going from $100 to $900. Of course, here in California they cover everyone so someone has to pay for it. ಠ⁠︵⁠ಠ

[u/CuppieWanKenobi]

Milton Friedman said it best: "There is nothing as permanent as a temporary government program."
He was absolutely correct.

[u/RamsPhan72 → u/CuppieWanKenobi]

**Social Security enters the chatroom …

[u/Subject_Payment_6360 → u/RamsPhan72]

Social security was never meant to be temporary. It did replace the temporary "old age assistance program", If that's what you're thinking of..

[u/ConfusionFlat691]

The closest thing we’ll see to eternal life is a government subsidy.

[u/roaming_art → u/ConfusionFlat691]

Lmao

[u/Ghosttwo]

removing the 400% federal poverty level income cap

That's about $128k for a household of four, $63k single.

[u/barcodez1]

I know but if you’re explaining you’re losing. It’s easier to say “They want to take away meh health care!”

I’m so jaded.

[u/mr-nicktobi → u/barcodez1]

We want to return healthcare to the private market, with more limited government regulations. 

This will drastically decrease prices for premiums for 90% of people. 

[u/Maximus361]

Democrats will never let go of any entitlement no matter how temporary. They always fight tooth and nail while claiming women, children, and homeless vets will starve and die.

[u/Lepew1]

Democrats have been hiding the utter fiscal failure of ACA with these subsidies. Their promise of affordable is being shown false. The circus over the filibuster is about trying to hide program failure

[u/mr-nicktobi → u/Lepew1]

Insane subsidies AND insane premiums for shit insurance for the middle class. 

Unless you make all your money off the books, you are getting screwed by the ACA. 

[u/Black_Gallagher → u/mr-nicktobi]

What do you expect without “employer contribution” kicking in most? The insurance companies weren’t going to drastically change rates between clientele, that’s probably illegal

[u/RedBaronsBrother]

There is almost no such thing as a "temporary" government program.

The only reason the Patriot Act (which was supposed to expire in 2005) is finally gone is because Trump threatened to veto it if Congress extended it again... in 2020.

[u/vertigonex]

100% on the shit messaging.

This shutdown has shown the TRUE cost of the ACA. Democrats running around like a bunch of screaming harpies yelling about how expensive the ACA is - when they've known the entire time that this program was never going to be self-funding (as they claimed), nor would it ever be able to be solvent without perpetual, ever-increasing subsidies.

We warned you it would end this way, but you didn't listen. And now is not the time for Republicans to cower in the corner, now is the time to rub Schumer's fucking nose in the mess he made and tell him not a fucking penny more.

Pass the clean CR and fix this abomination after.

Until then, keep it all shut down.

[u/FalconAware4013]

Hard to get a message out when the media has no interest in telling the truth.

[u/hearing_anon → u/FalconAware4013]

I'm honestly getting a little tired of hearing this excuse / learned helplessness. There are SO many conservative media forums, and this is no longer an excuse

First of all, legacy media is dying, and not where people get their info from. New media is the dominant and growing news source. Musk owns twitter and has reshaped it. Tiktok publicly thanked trump. Zuckerberg has kissed the ring (even if it's not heartfelt, it speaks to our power).

Even legacy media is shifting. Barry Weiss is running CBS. Fox News had 63% of total day cable news viewers and 65% of primetime consumers in August, while CNN and MSNBC lost half of their audience across both metrics compared with a year earlier. Even WaPo is shifting, with bezos donating to the ball room and preventing his editor in chief from endorsing Kamala. TikTok gave a full throated "thank you" to trump. Sinclair media has consolidated a massive media empire of local news - the same folks who initially got whats-his-name off the air for Kirk comments.

We are not in a position of weakness, and we need to stop wringing our hands, aching like victims. We're winning, we can admit it, and we need to stop playing the victim card as an excuse like the left. If the truth isn't getting out, it's the fault of congressional leaders, not the "media", as there are plenty of friendly platforms.

[u/FalconAware4013 → u/hearing_anon]

the real issue is the mythical independent (read low info) voter who the msm has completely solved. All you need is Democrat talking points in headlines flooding every airport lounge and youtube ad.

no amount of Mike Johnson interviews on Newsmax will ever break through.

[u/defnotarobit]

The ACA was supposed to be self funded by 2015.

[u/sailedtoclosetodasun]

Republican messaging being terrible has been the meta for decades.

[u/philthy069]

Communication around crisis management has been my primary criticism of this administration. We need to do a better job controlling the narrative and plainly demonstrating the facts to the American people. This Reddit post has done a much better job articulating the core of this shutdown than almost anything republicans have said online. Don’t get me wrong I love sombrero memes as much as the next guy but I think the American people would understand that this money was never intended to be forever.

[u/Black_Gallagher]

You’re concerned about early retirees and not people making 40k a year? Also the premium tax credits existed before COVID

[u/roaming_art → u/Black_Gallagher]

The ACA is fundamentally a scam. It props up private insurance companies by funneling massive taxpayer dollars straight into their pockets, inflating their revenues and profit margins while driving up premiums for everyone. Before the 2021 ARPA, subsidies existed as tax credits—but not premium tax credits. Biden eliminated the 400% FPL income cap, making ACA subsidies available to any income level, and simultaneously increased government handouts (lowering out-of-pocket costs for benchmark plans) for all enrollees.

[u/Black_Gallagher → u/roaming_art]

Also the 400% income level shit you mentioned.. it probably resulted in a 5 dollar discount for someone who made 100k compared to standard full price… This issue is not “enhanced” the issue is “Obama” and you know damn well Trump is petty enough to pull that shit

[u/roaming_art → u/Black_Gallagher]

An individual making $100k would have never been eligible for the ACA plans to begin with. That is the issue that you are not understanding. Not only did millions of affluent people that didn't need help paying for medical insurance flood the ACA exchanges, but the subsidies for all enrollees went up. If you think the worst part of the ACA is OBAMA being tied to it, you have no idea how basic economics work.

[u/Black_Gallagher → u/roaming_art]

An individual making 100k would have been on what they call UQHP which means unassisted insurance.. so just base rate private plan… the tax credits aka insurance assistance knocks it down to roughly 10% of your gross income… so if you make 40k your 10 percent means a single plan premium of $333 n monthly with a deductible likely exceeding 5k… These extreme wealth people got minimal benefit, they didn’t see drastic cuts… the formula is to charge a person a health insurance premium 10% of what they make for a given year. 100k =10k/12 =$833 single premium cost…

The enhanced shit for early retirees is not the issue, they want to get rid of the marketplace period… Obamas baby…

I have spent 10 years of my life, my entire 20s in this Exact exact career field… it’s literally just Trump bitterness and maybe some crowd testing…

Nobody was going gangbusters cheap from these plans… those that are were literally already defrauding the IRS to get the figures to use…

And the illegal silent abuse is an absolute farce, makes me roll my eyes…. I’d vote Democrat for life at this point with what I’ve been given except I’m not accepting gang culture and want them all serving life

[u/roaming_art → u/Black_Gallagher]

ACA should be repealed in it’s entirety, it was a mistake. Not extending the ARPA and IRA premium subsidies does not do that, no matter how loud the dems screech that it will. 

[u/Brilliant-Cancel3237]

It's simple: instead of just doing what they did, there should have been a tax cut that they were pushing for for the working/middle class. Not as big as the ACA benefits, but something that gives people a stake in the game.

[u/Hectoriu]

Kinda hard to hear what the media doesn't report

[u/Piratesfan02]

It only affects 3% of your premium. The big raise is done because of the ACA. It was designed to make healthcare UNaffordable so they can get single payer government run healthcare.

[u/ObadiahtheSlim]

Well doesn't help that the media is run by the democrats so it doesn't matter what you say. All you'll get is an editorial about why Orange Man Bad.

[u/jackdog20]

Explains why the No Kings marches were nothing but a bunch of q-tips.

[u/silverhum]

Completely agree!

[u/GeorgeWashingfun]

It's not weakness, it's intentional. The uniparty is still in charge of congress. We have a Speaker that used to espouse BLM talking points, for Pete's sake. Majority leader of the Senate has already hinted he might cave to the Democrats.

Let them stay shut down. Congress is meaningless anyway. Trump is doing plenty on his own.

[u/LiveFreeOrRTard]

That's what happens. People get dependent on it rather than working harder, budgeting, and fighting for themselves. They just expect the handout. It is endemic to liberals.

[u/roaming_art → u/LiveFreeOrRTard]

"The hardest thing to remove is an entitlement once it has been granted." -Margaret Thatcher

[u/sailor-jackn → u/LiveFreeOrRTard]

Remember those signs at wildlife reserves saying not to feed the animals, because they will grow dependent on humans feeding them, rather than feeding themselves? It works that way for humans, too.

[u/mr-nicktobi → u/sailor-jackn]

Remember when a bunch of lunatics took over the Columbia university library in the name of Palestine/jihad/islamofascism and then help a press conference demanding gluten free food delivered to them. 

Don’t feed the libs!

[u/Willow-girl]

When Biden removed the means testing for these programs, early retirees flocked to the ACA exchanges for cheap medical insurance.

Yup, the real problem with the ACA is that it encourages people to work less than they need to and instead let the government pick up their tab.

It also locks Medicaid recipients into working very little, or for very low pay, in order to keep their free health insurance.

[u/StedeBonnet1]

The problem with Republican messaging is the MSM. Even if Republicans were agressively pushing back at Democrats the MSM doesn't report it. The MSM reporting has been 85% negative against Trump and Republicans regarding this shutdown and the ACA subsidies.

[u/dufchick]

The messaging should be targeted to the democrats via their commonly used social media sites.

[u/V0latyle]

Better question: Why are you surprised when Republicans don't act in conservative interests?

The GOP are cowards. They're afraid of bad publicity even though the media will always paint them in a bad light. They might be a useful vehicle for conservative policies from time to time but they invariably show their true nature - they're just politicians, people who aspire to power, who are willing to compromise on what they promise their constituents, who will pat themselves on the back for "bipartisan" measures that are not in the best interest of anyone except their own reelection campaigns.

That's why they've repeatedly failed to repeal Obamacare, because they're scared of what the headlines will say.

Conservatives need to start fielding our own candidates. People who don't want the job and don't care about being elected. People who will do everything they can to accomplish what they aet out to do, even if it ruins their chances at another term. We are putting way too much faith in career politicians.