Statement on Senator Rand Paul’s Health Care Proposal and the Need for a Modern, Portable Alternative

Statement on Senator Rand Paul’s Health Care Proposal and the Need for a Modern, Portable Alternative

BELLEVUE, NE, UNITED STATES, December 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Statement on Senator Rand Paul’s Health Care Proposal and the Need for a Modern, Portable Alternative

Lee Benham, a 38-year health insurance professional and author of TrumpCare: America First Healthcare Reform, released the following statement regarding Senator Rand Paul’s recent healthcare proposal and its implications for national reform efforts.

Senator Paul has outlined a plan emphasizing expanded group purchasing arrangements and association health plans. While these options may improve access for some organizations, they maintain the employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) structure that has shaped U.S. health financing for more than 70 years. Under that structure, workers ultimately fund the full cost of their health coverage through reduced wages and limited portability — a dynamic widely recognized in economic research.

According to Benham, any reform that continues to rely on employer-based or group-based insurance frameworks will preserve the underlying incentives that contribute to escalating national health costs. This includes hidden wage reductions, restricted consumer choice, and the shift of high-cost individuals from employer plans into publicly subsidized coverage, as documented throughout Benham’s published research.

Age-Based Tax Credits: A Voluntary, Portable Alternative

Benham’s preferred policy model — age-based, refundable tax credits — provides a distinct pathway for consumers seeking portable, personally owned coverage. Under this approach:

Every American receives a predictable, age-adjusted credit, regardless of income or employment status.

Unused credit amounts automatically deposit into a personal Health Savings Account (HSA), allowing consumers to build long-term savings for future medical needs.

Coverage is completely portable, enabling individuals to keep their insurance when changing jobs, moving, or becoming self-employed.

Participation is voluntary; individuals may choose to remain in employer plans, ACA coverage, or Medicaid, or opt out if the credit provides a more suitable alternative.

This model does not replace the Affordable Care Act or employer-sponsored insurance. Instead, it introduces a parallel option that consumers can adopt at their discretion. Over time, individuals who prefer portability and ownership may migrate toward the credit-based system, while those satisfied with existing arrangements may continue without disruption.

Key Differences Between Senator Paul’s Proposal and the Age-Based Credit Model
Policy Feature Rand Paul Proposal Age-Based Tax Credit Model
Structure Emphasizes group buying power and association plans Provides a fixed, age-based credit directly to individuals
Portability Coverage generally tied to employer or association Fully portable; consumers own their plans
Savings Mechanism No built-in savings component Unused credit deposits into personal HSAs
Worker Impact Maintains wage-tradeoff inherent in ESI Allows wages to grow as individuals opt out voluntarily
Voluntary Participation dependent on employer/association decisions 100% voluntary; individual choice determines enrollment
Benham’s Statement

“Any reform that relies on employer-based or group-based insurance will preserve the very incentive structure that has driven health costs upward for decades. A voluntary, age-based tax credit provides a predictable and portable alternative that empowers individuals to own their coverage and save for future medical needs. The goal is not to replace existing systems, but to offer Americans a clear, simple option that reflects how modern workers live and work,” Benham said.

Supporting Research

Benham’s work, including TrumpCare: America First Healthcare Reform and related white papers, outlines how fixed, age-based credits paired with HSAs can modernize the insurance market, reduce long-term federal outlays, improve wage transparency, and strengthen consumer choice.

The Nebraska 1332 Waiver Outline further demonstrates how age-based credits can be implemented on a voluntary, state-level basis while maintaining ACA guardrail protections for affordability, coverage levels, and fiscal neutrality.

About Lee Benham

Lee Benham is a licensed health insurance broker with nearly four decades of experience and the nation’s first agent to enroll a beneficiary in a Medicare Medical Savings Account plan. He is the author of TrumpCare: America First Healthcare Reform and a leading advocate for consumer-driven, portable health financing models.

Lee Benham
Lee Benham
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