Roughly two years after President Donald Trump claimed he had “concepts” of a healthcare plan during a debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris, his proposal is still very much a work in progress.
In January 2026, the administration released a legislative framework called the “Great Healthcare Plan,” which broadly addressed prescription drug costs, reducing insurance premiums and increasing transparency among insurers and healthcare providers. However, the outline offered little information on how it would fund or implement its provisions.
The plan would also need congressional approval, and it’s unclear how the administration intends to secure it.
At the time, CBS News’ Kathryn Watson described the “Great Healthcare Plan” as “sparse on details,” while Kaiser Family Foundation’s Cynthia Cox called it “vague.”
Trump recently touted the proposal as affordability concerns – including worries about healthcare costs – have soared for voters ahead of the midterm elections. Affordable Care Act premiums surged for millions of Americans after the Republican-controlled Congress refused to extend enhanced subsidies last year. Medicaid cuts and work requirements under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill also put millions more at risk of losing healthcare coverage in the coming years.
“We will pass the Great Healthcare Plan to stop all government payments to big insurance companies, and give the money directly to the people, for you to buy your own healthcare and have money left over,” Trump said during remarks at the Republican midterm convention last week.
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As Trump noted, a major provision of the framework focused on giving money to Americans rather than subsidizing insurance plans.
Multiple Republicans have proposed legislation to deposit funds directly into an individual’s Health Savings Account as a means of doing so. Yet, critics argue that these accounts have limits on how funds can be used and are paired with costly high-deductible plans. The deposit amounts Republicans proposed could also be insufficient to offset premium increases.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has taken other actions on healthcare as president, but they’ve been more ad hoc efforts rather than the implementation of a comprehensive plan.
One executive order he signed in 2025 aimed to bring U.S. drug prices in line with those in comparable countries through something dubbed “most favored nation” prescription drug pricing. The White House said it had reached 26 deals with pharmaceutical companies, but it has disclosed few details about the agreements.
Trump has also launched TrumpRx, a website advertised as a place to connect consumers with prescription drug deals. Democrats panned the platform for offering a limited number of medications and failing to provide information on cheaper generic alternatives.
Last week, Trump pledged to give $500 rebate checks to about 1 million Obamacare enrollees who were allegedly overcharged for “user fees.” That policy has drawn pushback for failing to cover the steep uptick in costs many people are now facing.
“Since Republicans took away tax credits from working families, millions of people have seen their monthly premiums rise by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars,” Brad Woodhouse, Democratic strategist and executive director of advocacy group Protect Our Care, told AP in a statement. “At a time when people are scraping by to keep up with the high cost of groceries, rent, and healthcare, this $500 gimmick won’t even begin to dig them out of the hole that Trump and Republicans created.”