ACA Subsidies Would Continue To Mask, Not Fix, The Fundamental Problems

Arlington, VA — The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on extension on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies for an additional three years. The LIBRE Initiative, the nation’s largest center-right Latino advocacy organization, expressed disappointment with lawmakers supporting the extension, warning that the policy continues to prop up a broken system that benefits insurance companies while failing working families, many of whom are Latinos. 

Sandra Benitez, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement: 

“We are disappointed by efforts to extend Obamacare subsidies that continue to mask — rather than fix — the fundamental problems in our health care system. Latino families are not asking for bigger subsidies to prop up a broken model; they are asking for care they can afford, doctors they can trust, and clear prices they can plan around. 

This extension rewards waste and abuse while allowing insurance companies to profit from a system that leaves too many families paying more and getting less. Congress should stop doubling down on policies that fail working families and instead focus on real solutions — expanding choice, increasing transparency, and empowering patients to take control of their health care. Latinos deserve better than another temporary patch on a system that isn’t working.” 

THE TRUTH: 

• Supporters of the extension frequently cite record enrollment numbers as proof of success.  

• However, deeper analysis shows the program is plagued by waste, abuse, and inefficiency. Nearly half of new enrollees are considered “phantom enrollees,” individuals who never meaningfully use their coverage or only enroll because plans are free.  

• In 2025 alone, an estimated 6.4 million people were improperly enrolled, often without qualifying or even realizing they were signed up for coverage.  

• Additionally, nearly 40 percent of subsidized enrollees filed zero medical claims — a clear sign the program is failing to deliver real access to care. 

• These subsidies do not address the core problems in our health care system — affordability, access, and transparency.  

• Instead, they cement a system that rewards waste and funnels billions of taxpayer dollars to large insurance companies while families continue to struggle with rising premiums, deductibles, and surprise medical bills. 

FOR LATINOS:  

• For Latino families already facing high out-of-pocket costs, the extension represents a missed opportunity to pursue reforms that prioritize choice, competition, and patient-centered care.  

• LIBRE continues to advocate for a Personal Option approach to health care — one that expands Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), promotes Direct Primary Care (DPC), supports portable insurance options, and removes regulatory barriers that drive up costs and limit access. 

• As Congress considers the future of U.S. health care policy, LIBRE urges lawmakers to move away from temporary, costly subsidies and toward meaningful reforms that empower patients, increase competition, and deliver affordable, high-quality care for working