The Death Blow? Trump to halt ‘massive’ ObamaCare subsidies, legal fight likely
Obamacare. Was it just a program to provide insurance to the many who did not have healthcare insurance?
Some would say that it was ineffective at doing that given that nearly 20 million opted out of Obamacare. Some, however, did get the insurance – much of that through government subsidies. In order to provide those subsidies, the federal government also was providing subsidies to insurance companies who were losing money as a result of participating in the program.
Today, President Trump sought to end the latter practice:
“The White House said in a statement that the Department of Health and Human Services has determined there is no appropriation for so-called cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers under the ObamaCare law.”
By removing that brick in the wall, the White House is hastening the demise of Obamacare. Many insurers had already pulled out of the program leaving the program fate in jeopardy and people without insurance alternatives or, at the very least, higher premiums. With this move, more insurers will pull out of the program and that will leave even more people without insurance or will leave them with even higher premiums.
Trump is doing it to force Congress to act on a replacement of Obamacare.
Will it work? Well, often Congress only acts when the situation is dire. Trump’s decision today likely will make things dire. Oh by the way, lawsuits against the decision were promised by the like of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
