7 Bold Reasons Ending Obamacare Subsidies Could Cut Costs

CATO’s Michael F. Cannon argues short-term health plans could slash premiums by 50%, replace Obamacare subsidies, and cost taxpayers nothing.

Jan 12, 2026 - 06:13
7 Bold Reasons Ending Obamacare Subsidies Could Cut Costs
7 Bold Reasons Ending Obamacare Subsidies Could Cut Costs

As Washington debates whether to extend ObamaCare subsidies yet again, a prominent health policy expert is sounding the alarm—arguing that subsidies may permanently lock in a broken system instead of fixing it.


According to Michael F. Cannon, Director of Healthcare Policy at the CATO Institute, extending ObamaCare subsidies would be a historic mistake. Cannon says doing so would effectively make ObamaCare permanent—without addressing its rising costs or shrinking choices.

Instead, Cannon urges Congress to revive and permanently adopt the healthcare rules introduced under President Trump in 2018. Those rules expanded access to short-term health plans, allowing policies to last up to 36 months and include renewal guarantees.

Cannon argues these plans could reduce insurance premiums by 50 percent or more for many Americans—without costing taxpayers a single dollar.

“Subsidies will not solve this problem,” Cannon states. “Government should be capping what it spends on healthcare at zero.”

He emphasizes that short-term health plans existed for years without destabilizing ObamaCare. According to Cannon, fears that these plans would collapse the Affordable Care Act never materialized when the rules were previously in place.

Rather than expanding government subsidies, Cannon proposes giving consumers direct control—allowing them to purchase insurance straight from private companies, free from heavy federal interference.

He says this approach would result in lower-priced insurance, better coverage, and longer-term stability, while easing concerns among Democrats who fear market disruption.


As Congress weighs its next move on healthcare, Cannon’s proposal highlights a stark divide: expand subsidies and federal control—or step back and let competition drive down costs. The decision could shape America’s healthcare system for decades to come.

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