Trump’s actions different from his rhetoric on health care

To The Daily Sun,

When Trump makes a statement, the truth is often the exact opposite of what he says. His recent tweet, “I was the person who saved pre-existing conditions in your healthcare,” is a perfect example.

While campaigning, Trump called Obamacare a “disaster” and vowed to repeal it. As soon as he was elected, he tried to pass legislation to accomplish just that. In addition to weakening protections for pre-existing conditions, the proposed law eliminated the mandate, allowed waivers for essential health benefits, increased premiums for older Americans, and repealed some Medicaid expansions. Although Republicans controlled Congress, their effort to replace Obamacare was a colossal failure.

When his initial attempt to destroy Obamacare did not work, Trump began undermining and dismantling it piece by piece. His appointees, Alex Azar of Health and Human Services and Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), have assisted in that endeavor.

Since elected, Trump has reduced federal funding for enrollment advertising by 90%, cut personnel, shortened the enrollment period and posted negative messages about Obamacare. He also discontinued federal payments for subsidies under the law, increased out-of-pocket limits, and made fewer Americans eligible for premium tax credits. 

In 2017, Trump signed an executive order loosening regulations on short-term health insurance plans (“junk” plans). These plans now allow insurers to sidestep pre-existing conditions and essential health benefits. As a result, the plans are cheaper and entice healthy people away from the exchange, leaving sicker people in the risk pool and driving up costs. CMS estimates that 1.6 million people will have short-term insurance by 2022.

Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced the penalty for not buying healthcare to zero, effectively eliminating the individual mandate. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this action increased premiums an average of 10% and will continue to raise premiums, making coverage less affordable for people who do not qualify for subsidies.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that, for the first time in 10 years, the number of uninsured Americans has risen — by 2 million — from 2017 to 2018. Many health care advocates believe Trump’s attempts to cripple the law greatly contributed to the increase.

Eliminating the mandate encouraged Republicans in 20 states to bring suit in an attempt to have the entire law thrown out. The Trump administration joined that lawsuit. Republican-appointed judges have ruled favorably for the plaintiffs and the case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court and could be heard this year. The administration recently filed a brief urging the Court to take its time in ruling on the case. The reason for requesting this delay is glaringly obvious. 2020 is an election year. If the Court rules against Trump, the objective of the lawsuit will be front-page news across the country. If Trump wins, a popular law will be struck down, a law that provides insurance to tens of millions of people and essential benefits like pre-existing conditions to all Americans, and our entire healthcare system will be thrown into utter chaos.

Jane Westlake

Barnstead