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President Trump on Tuesday said amid rising health care premiums he would only consider approving legislation that provides a pathway for direct health care payments. “THE ONLY HEALTHCARE I WILL SUPPORT OR APPROVE IS SENDING THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING GOING TO THE BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHO HAVE MADE $TRILLIONS, AND RIPPED OFF AMERICA LONG ENOUGH,” Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social. (Fields, 11/18)

President Donald Trump said he’s talking to Democrats on health care. No Democrat will cop to it. POLITICO reached out to two dozen House and Senate offices and none would acknowledge they are in contact with the White House on health care. “Lol no,” replied one Senate Democratic spokesperson, when asked if the president had reached out. (Gangitano, 11/19)

House Republican leaders delivered a presentation to members Tuesday morning slamming the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act that are due to expire at the end of the year. It comes as members of both parties and chambers are rushing to develop, and pass, legislation to lower health care costs by Dec. 31, when the Obamacare subsidies will expire and premiums are set to go through the roof. (Lee Hill and Guggenheim, 11/18)

The government shutdown is gone, and so is much of the leverage Democrats had to pressure Republicans to extend enhanced subsidies for health insurance exchange plans. While the seven Democrats and one allied independent who sided with the Republican majority to fund the government through Jan. 30 secured a promise from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to vote on the subsidies before year-end, too few GOP lawmakers have publicly come on board for a straight extension to pass. (McAuliff, 11/18)

Employers expect to see health benefits rise by 6.7% in 2026, reaching more than $18,500 per employee on average, according to a new report. Analysts at Mercer estimate that health costs in 2025 reached an average of $17,496 for each employee, growth of 6%. That's a rate that outpaced inflation and wage growth, according to the report. (Minemyer, 11/18)

Almost half U.S. adults are worried they won't be able to afford needed health care in the coming year, according to a West Health-Gallup survey — the highest level recorded since the organizations began tracking the measure in 2021. (Bettelheim, 11/18)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Listen To The Latest '�������ýҕ�l Health News Minute'

Jackie Fortiér reads the week’s news: You have until Jan. 15 to pick an Affordable Care Act health plan for next year, and the Trump administration is taking aim at state laws that protect consumers’ credit scores from medical debt. (Cook, 11/18)