John writes about the politics of health care, and he is the author of the twice-weekly D.C. WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will end subsidies for private Medicare drug plans, likely resulting in higher premiums for some older adults right before the midterm elections. Democrats were already campaigning on the approximately $1 trillion in health care cuts in Republicans’ tax bill from last summer. They immediately seized on the decision to end drug plan subsidies as another opportunity to attack Republicans on affordability. AdvertisementSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the decision “heartless, cruel, and completely by choice.”