During Shutdown, Trump's Efforts to Gut Obamacare Are Full Speed Ahead

As we've documented in more than 30 posts at Smart Dissent, Republicans are working quietly every single day to dismantle healthcare for Americans.  While Democrats work towards a form of Medicare for All, with nearly all 2020 Presidential candidates in support, Republicans are actively working in the complete opposite direction.  STAY INFORMED.

A good portion of the federal government may be shut down, but you can rest assured that the devoted Obamacare saboteurs at the Department of Health and Human Services are on the job.

Late Thursday, they released proposed rule changes for the 2020 health insurance year....that will drive up premiums for people on Affordable Care Act health plans, cut subsidies and discourage more Americans from enrolling....  raise prescription costs for enrollees and raise costs even for families enrolled in employer plans. Longer-term changes proposed for 2021 and beyond could affect about 2 million ACA enrollees.

This Administration continues its efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act and roll back the progress we’ve made for millions of Americans.  These Republicans leading and destroying our Health and Human Services Department readily admit they're making changes to lower government expenditure by passing costs back to citizens and that it'll force people to lose their insurance coverage. Seema Verna, we're looking right at you.  You swore to uphold healthcare policies when you took this position, not dismantle them.  It’s reprehensible — these are people’s lives we’re talking about.

HHS acknowledges that the near-term proposals would save the U.S. treasury and cost families an aggregate $900 million a year in subsidies in 2020 and 2021, and $1 billion a year after that. They anticipate that the higher costs will drive 100,000 people off their health insurance plans every year between 2020 and 2023.

HHS says some of those people may end up buying the short-term junk insurance plans of which the Trump administration is so enamored, though “a majority is likely to become uninsured.”

The public uprising when Republicans tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017 was incredible and clear.  Then Democrats ran all of 2018 on healthcare and won by the largest margin in midterm history.  YET, REPUBLICANS ARE STILL TRYING TO TAKE AWAY OUR HEALTHCARE.

 The loss of insurance, HHS says, “may result in greater exposure to health care cost....these individuals will be bearing a larger share of the costs of their own health care consumption, potentially reducing spending on health care services.”  Translation from the gibberish: People will face higher costs for healthcare, so they’ll use less of it. 

This is another example of how the Trump administration is happy for no part of government to function well, except the parts that make life harder for the average American. Even 27 days into the shutdown, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said, “Trump has somehow found time to further sabotage health care for patients, families, and women — this time by proposing what would amount to a health care tax on patients and families across the country.”

You can read much more important information about the specific proposals to sabotage healthcare at our source below.

Sources: https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-obamacare-20190118-story.html