1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

The Affordable Care Act was marketed as a way to make healthcare affordable for ordinary Americans, but it’s become a cash cow for the insurance industry. Since the ACA’s passage, the nation’s largest health insurers — UnitedHealth Group, Elevance Health, Centene, Cigna, and CVS/Aetna — have seen profits soar by more than 230%, earning over $370 billion. These corporations aren’t thriving because they improved efficiency or quality of care. They’re thriving because the government now guarantees their revenue through billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies. Under this system, insurers can raise premiums freely, knowing the federal government will cover the difference. Average ACA marketplace plans have increased by 20–30% in many states, yet insurers face no real competition or pressure to control costs. The more prices rise, the more subsidies flow — and the more taxpayers pay. This isn’t a healthcare solution; it’s a corporate entitlement program disguised as compassion. Meanwhile, the national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, and the U.S. spends over $1 trillion a year just on interest payments — money that could fund hospitals, veterans’ care, or infrastructure instead of padding corporate profits. These subsidies have not solved the healthcare crisis; they’ve cemented a system that rewards inefficiency, fuels inflation, and hides the true cost of care behind federal spending. If we want healthcare that’s genuinely affordable, we must break the cycle of corporate welfare. That means restoring price transparency, encouraging market competition, expanding Health Savings Accounts, and demanding accountability from insurers who profit from public dollars. Real reform should empower patients — not the multi-billion-dollar companies that have turned “affordable care” into a government-guaranteed business model.