Payam Javan: With the government shutdown now officially in the rearview mirror, the fierce debate over America’s healthcare future is anything but settled. And as usual, President Donald Trump is taking the reins where Washington’s entrenched establishment has failed.

The President confirmed he is in active talks with lawmakers, including several Democrats willing to break from party leadership, on a proposal that would send federal healthcare funds directly to the American people, bypassing layers of bureaucracy that have long frustrated consumers.

In an interview aired yesterday on CNN’s State of the Union, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the administration is reviewing a wide spectrum of ideas, from direct payments to various reinsurance models, all aimed at creating what he described as a more workable, more competitive, and more responsive healthcare marketplace.

While Congress continues to spar, the administration’s message is clear: President Trump is determined to put ordinary Americans, not Washington power brokers, back at the center of the healthcare conversation.