Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) isn't buying the Trump administration's latest health care idea. On Wednesday, he took to X to blast a proposal that would let insurance companies offer loans to patients, calling it a "total scam."
"Did you hear this? After throwing millions off their health care insurance, Trump is now going to let insurers make loans to patients – possibly with sky high interest rates – so they can afford the Trump premiums," Murphy wrote. "Just a total scam."
In a video accompanying the post, Murphy argued that recent health care changes have already squeezed families. "As you already know, the Republican cuts to health care have been devastating," he said. "Prices are skyrocketing. We’ve already seen about three million people lose their coverage in the Affordable Care Act."
Murphy said offering loans doesn't fix the real problem—rising costs. "Instead of fixing this problem, the Trump administration is going to make it worse because apparently they are about to allow insurance companies to become bankers," he said. He warned that patients could face "a wildly high interest rate" while trying to afford coverage, and argued that health care cuts were tied to funding tax cuts for the wealthy. The solution, he said, should be lowering premiums, not adding debt.
Murphy isn't alone in his criticism. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also weighed in, arguing that the U.S. health care system prioritizes insurance industry profits. "We have a fundamental choice to make," Sanders posted on X. "We can maintain a broken healthcare system that allows insurance companies to make billions by raising premiums by 14%-35% next year. Or we can enact Medicare for All and save the American people $650 billion a year. Which side are you on?"
The timing of these critiques is no coincidence. ACA marketplace insurers have already sought a median 14% premium increase for 2027, citing rising medical costs, expensive specialty drugs, and the expiration of enhanced subsidies. Insurers also pointed to new enrollment policies as a factor in the higher projected rates.
Last week, the Trump administration proposed Medicare drug payment changes aimed at reducing hospital markups on discounted 340B drugs, and introduced a broader health care plan targeting pharmacy benefit manager fees to lower prescription drug and insurance costs. But for critics like Murphy and Sanders, those moves don't go far enough—and the loan plan only makes things worse.
