HUM CI UNH ELV The Trump administration plans to end a subsidy program that helped hold down premiums for Medicare drug plans, a move that c

CI UNH HUM Trump Administration to End Medicare Drug Plan Subsidy -- WSJ The Trump administration plans to end a subsidy program that helped hold down premiums for Medicare drug plans, a move that could leave many seniors facing higher rates for their prescription coverage next year. The move will eliminate a program that is giving Insurance companies an estimated $3.6B in subsidies this year to blunt increases in premiums for the Medicare prescription plans, known as Part D. The program will end after 2026, according to administration officials. High drug costs are a perennial issue -- especially for seniors on fixed incomes -- and Healthcare affordability is expected to be a focus in the midterm elections. Roughly 25M people have Part D plans, and they will learn about their 2027 rates in the fall. A Trump administration official said the extra subsidies encouraged insurers to raise rates, knowing the government would pick up the extra cost. He said the subsidies weren't needed, and other policies that help hold down Part D costs also remain in place.