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.
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: