Trump urged Republicans to send Affordable Care Act payments directly to the people, reigniting debate over insurer subsidies as Congress nears a deal to end the 40-day shutdown.
- Trump urged Republicans to send Affordable Care Act payments directly to the people, reigniting debate over insurer subsidies as Congress nears a deal to end the 40-day shutdown.
- The proposed funding compromise excludes a full-year ACA subsidy extension but includes a December vote, keeping healthcare policy uncertainty in focus.
- Traders said an eventual funding deal could act as a “shot of adrenaline” for healthcare stocks once federal operations resume.
Retail traders maintained confidence in UnitedHealth Group over the weekend, saying the insurer remains resilient even as U.S. President Donald Trump renewed calls to redirect Obamacare funds directly to the people and Congress moved closer to ending the record U.S. government shutdown.
Retail Traders See Strength Despite Policy Noise
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for UnitedHealth was ‘neutral’ amid ‘normal’ message volume.
Several traders said they remain bullish, arguing that UnitedHealth and other established players are politically protected and too vital to be seriously disrupted.
One user wrote that the stock is “not going anywhere but up” because “politicians have too many friends” tied to major healthcare companies like UnitedHealth, Boeing, and Johnson & Johnson.
Another trader noted that Trump “blasting healthcare” could trigger a “50–100 point drop.”
Some traders saw potential weakness from the policy debate as a buying opportunity, saying to “buy the shares from weak retail,” while others pointed out that only 1–2% of UnitedHealth’s customers rely on ACA exchange plans, which means any subsidy changes would have minimal effect on earnings.
UnitedHealth Group does not publicly disclose the specific percentage of its total customer base that relies solely on ACA marketplace plans. However, the company has previously said that 90% of its individual and family ACA members received subsidies to help pay for their premiums in 2024, with over half paying $0 in monthly premiums.
Another post predicted that a government funding deal could act as “a shot of adrenaline” for the market and healthcare stocks once operations resume.
Trump’s Healthcare Proposal Adds Uncertainty
Trump said on Truth Social Saturday that he is recommending that Senate Republicans “send the hundreds of billions of dollars currently being sent to money-sucking insurance companies” directly to the people so that they can purchase their own, much better healthcare.
The post followed the collapse of negotiations between Senate Democrats and Republicans over extending Affordable Care Act subsidies as part of a broader deal to end the shutdown.
The 40-day government shutdown appeared close to ending Sunday after moderate Senate Democrats agreed to support a compromise funding bill that would reopen several agencies through Jan. 30. The deal excludes a full-year ACA subsidy extension, a key Democratic demand, but includes a commitment for a December vote on the issue.
Democratic leaders said they would continue pushing to protect the subsidies, while Trump said the U.S. is “getting closer to the shutdown ending,” according to a Bloomberg report.
UnitedHealth’s stock has declined 35% so far in 2025.
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