When Democrats shut down the federal government for 42 days, millions of Americans suffered. Veterans couldn’t access services, national parks closed their gates, and federal workers went without paychecks. Nice priorities, right? But the real reason for their obstinacy wasn’t principle—it was profit.

While you weren’t looking, a massive wealth transfer was taking place. While families struggled to make ends meet during the shutdown, Democrat donors in the insurance industry were protecting their golden goose: taxpayer-funded subsidies that have made them billions. The shutdown wasn’t about healthcare—it was about keeping the money flowing to the right pockets.

From ‘Just the News’:

The 42-day federal shutdown forced by Democrats thrust the economics of Obamacare into the limelight, and exposed an uncomfortable truth: An insurance industry whose executives are increasingly liberal donors has seen its earnings soar with the injection of taxpayer-funded subsidies that propped up Barack Obama’s signature health program from collapse.

The nation’s largest health insurance companies have seen good business since Obamacare was first passed in 2010 and fully implemented in 2014. This has come in no small part because of federal government subsidies to the insurance industry, which government estimates show totaled $1.8 trillion in 2023 alone.

This is outrageous. One-point-eight TRILLION dollars. In one year. Your money, their pockets.

The evidence is damning. Since Obamacare’s implementation, the four largest health insurance companies saw their profits explode by 216%. UnitedHealth Group, which dominates the industry, experienced the most dramatic windfall. Their stock prices didn’t just beat the market—they crushed it, growing 1,032% since the law passed, compared to just 251% for the S&P 500.

Follow the Money

Connect the dots. These same insurance executives who got rich off your tax dollars turned around and funded Democrat campaigns. UnitedHealth Group individuals contributed $742,271 to Kamala Harris in 2024, while giving just $158,000 to President Trump. Centene’s pattern was even more lopsided: $225,622 to Harris versus a mere $22,804 to Trump. (Guess they know who butters their bread.)

This is textbook quid pro quo. Democrats expanded these subsidies during COVID as an “emergency measure,” then fought tooth and nail to make them permanent. They even raised the income cap to $128,000 for a family of four. More families qualifying means more tax dollars flowing straight to their donors. When Republicans tried to end this gravy train, Democrats literally shut down the government to protect it.

Phantom Policies, Real Profits

Here’s where it gets truly outrageous. Roughly 35% of all subsidized Obamacare plans—12 million enrollees—never file a single claim. These “phantom policies” represent pure profit for insurance companies, paid entirely by taxpayers. Think about that—you’re paying for insurance that nobody uses. It’s like buying gas for cars that don’t exist.

Rep. Dusty Johnson exposed the scale of this scam: “40% of these policies have never had a single claim applied to them… Instead, they are just checks written to the insurance companies.” Many Americans don’t even know they’re enrolled in these duplicate plans. They’ve been scammed by slick insurance salesmen who maximize subsidies at taxpayer expense.

The Paragon Health Institute spelled it out clearly: “Large insurers benefit greatly from phantom enrollment, as they collect billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to cover individuals who cost them nothing.”

President Trump called out this corruption directly, posting on Truth Social: “Democrats claim to be working for ‘the little guy,’ and driving down your Health Insurance, but the OBAMACARE SCAM goes STRAIGHT TO THEIR BEST FRIENDS IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY. THEY ARE MAKING A ‘KILLING,’ while Health Coverage only gets WORSE.”

The solution Trump proposes cuts out the middleman entirely. Direct funding to personal Health Savings Accounts would put Americans back in control of their healthcare dollars. But Democrats will never support it. Why? Because it would end their donors’ windfall.

Here’s the dirty little secret Democrats don’t want you to know: they’d rather watch America suffer than turn off the money spigot to their buddies. This is the swamp at its worst. Politicians enrich their donors with taxpayer money, then collect campaign contributions as payment. Democrats didn’t shut down the government to help Americans—they did it to protect a corrupt system that makes their friends rich while your healthcare costs continue to soar. It’s time to end this scam once and for all.

Key Takeaways

• Insurance company profits exploded 216% under Obamacare while collecting trillions in taxpayer subsidies
• These same insurers donated heavily to Democrats—UnitedHealth CEO gave Harris 5x more than Trump
• 35% of subsidized Obamacare policies go completely unused—pure profit at taxpayer expense
• Democrats shut down the government to protect this corrupt money pipeline to their donors

Sources: Just The News