About this episode
LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on: https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured Here’s the blunt truth: the shutdown standoff is theater—and the real deal being cut in the back room is whether Trump and Republicans extend juiced Obamacare subsidies to dodge political heat before the midterms. In this episode: Why the “who wins the shutdown?” narrative is a distraction from a massive spending cave How enhanced ACA subsidies became permanent by “temporary” design—and doubled enrollment since 2021 The GOP’s fear play: extending subsidies to avoid blame for higher premiums in key red districts Why subsidies always raise prices—and how healthcare became a middleman bonanza The path not taken: real market reforms (HSAs, catastrophic plans, cross-state competition) Republicans abandoned If the White House trades another year of Obamacare steroids for a PR win, both parties will claim victory—while you pay the bill and the system keeps breaking.