Killing off OBAMA care: GOP's stubborn subversion plan: remove subsidies

 Those killing off Obamacare are from those states that need it the most. These GOP-controlled states ought to look after improving the health of their citizens, and instead, they are making access to good health care even more unaffordable. This map is damning: those with the worst life expectancy are mostly red states.

[OC] U.S. States by Life Expectancy at Birth in 2018-2021 : r/dataisbeautiful

The stubbornness of Trump and the GOP refusing to reverse themselves on Obamacare subsidies is puzzling, unless you view it in some context. Ever since John McCain blocked its death, the GOP has been trying to kill it off in some other way. They have found it: remove its subsidies so that it is unaffordable to anyone who is not wealthy. It is a mantra and it is very popular.ACA marketplace premiums are set to rise sharply in 2026—with median filings showing increases of ~15–18%, the highest since 2018. The victims are predominantly those who can no longer afford preventative care and even visiting a doctor when diseases are or could be diagnosed and treated can cause going bankrupt. The irony is that those states (NM excepted) with the lowest life expectancy are glaringly obvious: mostly red states: l. The GOP may think they are killing off hated socialized medicine and protecting big pharma and big insurers, but what they are doing is killing off more of their own constituents who need affordable health care, not less..

The ACA is not the best system for providing subsidies for health care access, but it is the only one we have, and there is no concept of a plan on the GOP's list of concerns or agenda. What this strategy of killing it off by removing subsidies is doing, making even their core supporters suffer, will eventually lead to desperation by their own voters and lead to what the GOP dreads most: Medicare for All. That or something similar can cut out the middlemen, share costs with the largest base of participants, and force big pharma to compete for business through a government process for all health care, depending on the details of the Medicare for All system. Obamacare (ACA) has filled in the gap between Medicaid and employer-provided insurance and made it possible for the self-employed to get insurance subsidized based on income and ability to pay.

However, this is not evidence that the Affordable Care Act “is failing.”

The data show that these increases stem primarily from rising medical costs, Republican-driven policy instability, and state-level refusal to expand Medicaid—not the ACA’s design..Following the map graphic are footnote data sources used for this conclusion.

reddit.com

From the dataisbeautiful community on Reddit: [OC] U.S. States by Life Expectancy at Birth in 2018-2021

Explore this post and more from the dataisbeautiful comm

1. Premiums are rising because Republicans destabilized the market.
• Repeated repeal attempts, litigation, and the 2017 termination of cost-sharing reduction payments drove insurers to hedge by hiking rates.
• Source: CBO / Wikipedia summary of CSR payment termination
2. Republican-led states blocked Medicaid expansion, raising costs for everyone.
• Non-expansion states now show 7 % higher ACA premiums on average and significantly worse uninsured rates.
• Sources: KFF—Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions; CBPP—Medicaid Expansion FAQs
3. Corporate favoritism worsened cost inflation.
• GOP opposition to drug-price negotiation and weak antitrust enforcement allowed pharma and hospital monopolies to raise costs unchecked.
• Source: Verywell Health—Why Health Insurance Costs Are Rising
4. Democrats stabilized and expanded coverage.
• Under Democratic leadership, subsidies were enhanced and coverage expanded to record levels, even as the GOP blocked long-term fixes.
• Sources: KFF—ACA Premiums Up 18 % in 2026; Health System Tracker—Drivers of 2026 Premium Hikes

---

• “Premiums aren’t going up because of Obamacare — they’re going up because Republicans never stopped trying to break it.”
• “In states where Republican leaders blocked Medicaid expansion, working families pay more for coverage.”
• “When Republicans side with Big Pharma and hospital monopolies, middle-class Americans pay the price.”

---

1. KFF: Why ACA Premiums Are Rising in 2026 (Aug 2025)
2. KFF: Preliminary Rate Filings Show Largest Increases Since 2018
3. AJMC: ACA Premiums Up 26 % Before Subsidy Expiration
4. CBPP: Medicaid Expansion & Coverage Gaps
5. HealthCare Dive: ACA Plans Could Spike in 2026