Is Trying Something New in Healthcare Worth It?
For decades, America’s healthcare system has followed the same basic playbook: funnel massive public dollars into insurance companies, hope competition lowers costs, and try to patch the holes with more regulations and subsidies. Yet premiums keep rising, deductibles remain painfully high, and millions of people still delay or avoid care altogether.
That’s why some of the ideas in the newly released Great Healthcare Plan from President Trump deserve a closer look—not because they’re perfect, but because they challenge a system that clearly isn’t working for many Americans.
At its core, the plan proposes shifting away from subsidizing large insurance corporations and toward empowering individuals through price transparency, consumer choice, and direct affordability. One of its most striking proposals is to send money directly to eligible Americans instead of routing it through insurance companies, allowing people to choose coverage that fits their needs.
Is it risky? Yes.
Is it unfinished? Absolutely.
Is it worth discussing? We think so.
Why the Status Quo Isn’t Working
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded coverage for millions of Americans—but it also entrenched a system that relies heavily on subsidies flowing through private insurers. Over time, that structure has become complex, confusing, and increasingly expensive.
Many people today are paying hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars each month for plans they’re afraid to use. High deductibles, narrow networks, surprise bills, and long wait times have become normal.
People don’t just want coverage—they want care:
- Prices they can understand
- Bills that don’t surprise them
- Appointments they can actually get
- Providers who focus on health, not just paperwork
When insurance becomes something you avoid using, something is broken.
Where ACA Subsidies Stand Right Now
Enhanced ACA premium subsidies—originally expanded during the pandemic—expired at the start of 2026. These subsidies had made marketplace plans more affordable for millions of middle-income families, gig workers, and early retirees.
Congress is currently debating whether to extend them.
The House has passed a bill to temporarily extend these enhanced subsidies, but the legislation faces an uncertain path in the Senate. Even if it passes, it could still face a presidential veto. In other words: nothing is guaranteed, and millions of Americans are left in limbo.
This uncertainty is already affecting enrollment. Many families are discovering that their premiums have jumped sharply, and some are choosing to go uninsured or underinsured as a result.
That’s not a political problem—it’s a real-life one.
Why Health Savings Accounts Matter in This Conversation
One of the most compelling ideas connected to this broader shift in thinking is the expanded use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) or similar consumer-directed health accounts.
Instead of subsidies being locked inside complex insurance structures, these accounts would allow people to control how their healthcare dollars are spent—whether that’s on insurance premiums, primary care, medications, labs, or preventive services.
In theory, this could restore something that healthcare has largely lost: a functioning free market.
When people spend their own healthcare dollars:
- They ask about prices
- They compare options
- They demand value
- They avoid unnecessary costs
Right now, most patients never see the true cost of care. Prices are hidden. Bills arrive months later. Decisions are made without meaningful information. That makes it nearly impossible for market forces to work.
If government subsidies were placed into consumer-controlled accounts, people could choose:
- A lower-cost primary care clinic
- Transparent, upfront pricing
- A plan that fits their actual needs
- Preventive care instead of crisis care
In theory, this competition would push providers and insurers to become more efficient, more transparent, and more patient-centered.
Will it work perfectly? No system does.
But the idea—that people should have more control over their own healthcare dollars—is not radical. It’s common sense.
What This New Plan Gets Right
The Great Healthcare Plan includes several ideas that deserve real attention:
1. Price Transparency
The plan would require insurers to publish coverage and pricing in plain English so consumers can make informed decisions.
It would also require insurers to disclose how much of their revenue goes to actual care versus overhead and profit, as well as how often claims are denied.
This kind of transparency is long overdue.
2. Lowering Drug Costs
The plan proposes tying U.S. drug prices to what people pay internationally and expanding access to safe over-the-counter medications.
3. Reducing Middlemen
It also calls for cutting kickbacks from pharmacy benefit managers and large brokerage middlemen that drive up costs.
Where Caution Is Warranted
That said, the plan is light on details.
Big ideas need real-world implementation paths—or they risk becoming slogans instead of solutions.
And Congress is never quick.
Any legislation that eventually passes will likely be:
- Overly complicated
- Full of carve-outs
- Influenced by special interests
- Less bold than originally promised
There is a real risk that whatever emerges could end up no better than what we currently have.
What This Means for Working Families
For working families, this debate is not abstract.
It’s about:
- Whether you can afford to see a doctor before a problem becomes an emergency
- Whether your deductible is so high that insurance feels useless
- Whether a single illness could cause financial ruin
Most Americans aren’t asking for luxury healthcare. They’re asking for basic, affordable access to care that makes sense.
How This Aligns With What We See at Aslan Health
At Aslan Health, we care for people who fall through the cracks of the current system every day—working families, small business employees, self-employed individuals, and those who make too much for Medicaid but can’t afford traditional insurance.
When care is simple and affordable:
- People come in earlier
- Chronic disease is caught sooner
- ER visits decrease
- Long-term costs drop
That’s not theory—that’s what we see.
The Real Question
The question isn’t whether this plan is perfect.
It isn’t.
The real question is:
Are we willing to admit the current system isn’t working well enough—and try something different?
Doing nothing isn’t neutral. It’s a decision to keep things exactly as they are.
And for too many families, that’s simply not good enough.