Beneath the rambling, Trump laid out a chilling healthcare plan
Guys, who was supposed to take care of grandpa last night? Because he went out, he was on TV, and… He was. Negative. Good morning my baby.
For 18 minutes on Wednesday evening, we were treated to a rumor that predicted President Trump was shifting away from immigrants (bad) to jobs (good), rarely slowing down for reality. But tangled up in vitriol and venom was a vision of American healthcare with the terrifying villain M3GAN trembling in his Mary Janes—a vision we should all fear because it would take us back to a dark age where insurance couldn’t be trusted.
Trump’s remarks, as usual, offered a sketchy outline of how the cost of health insurance premiums might be lower; but that was because the coverage was terrible. Yes, you will save money. So what? A cheap car without wheels is not a deal.
“The money should go to the people,” Trump said of such plan.
The money he vaguely mentioned were government subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that made insurance affordable. Also on Wednesday, after the antics and mini-revolt by four Republicans, Congress failed to do anything meaningful on health care; virtually guaranteed that these subsidies would disappear by the New Year.
Starting in January, without subsidies, many people’s premiums would skyrocket, rising by an average of $1,016, according to the study. health policy research group KFF.
That’s bad enough. But Trump wants to make the situation worse.
The Affordable Care Act is about much more than these subsidies. Insurance companies in many states before it went into effect in 2014 denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. It didn’t have to be something big like cancer. A child with asthma? A mother with colitis? These were routine but chronic problems that prevented millions of people from obtaining insurance and therefore care.
Obamacare required that policies sold on the exchange not discriminate. In addition, the ACA mandated plans to limit out-of-pocket costs and end lifetime dollar caps and provide coverage that includes basic needs such as maternity care. These standards put pressure on any plans to include more, including those offered through large employers.
Trump wants to undo most of that. Instead, he wants to resort to his favorite trick: sending a check!
What he proposes by sending subsidy money directly to consumers would also likely open the market to plans without ACA regulations. So yes, small businesses and even groups of individuals can come together to buy insurance, but there will likely be fewer rules about what or who the insurance should cover.
Most people aren’t knowledgeable or careful enough to understand the limitations of their insurance before it matters. So there’s a lifetime limit of $2 million? This seems like a lot until your child needs treatment to get over it in a few months. What happens next?
Trump suggested people pay for it themselves from health savings accounts funded by the subsidy check sent directly to taxpayers. Because this will definitely work and people won’t spend the money on shopping or rent and what they save will definitely cover any medical expenses.
“You’re going to get much better health care at a much lower price,” Trump said Wednesday. “The only losers will be the insurance companies that are getting richer and the Democratic Party, which is controlled by exactly the same insurance companies. They’re not going to be happy, but that’s okay with me because you the people will finally have great health care at a lower cost.”
He then bizarrely tried to blame the expiring subsidies on Democrats.
Democrats “are demanding these increases, and it’s their fault,” he said. “It’s not the Republicans’ fault. It’s the Democrats’ fault. It’s the Uncovered Care Act and everyone knew it.”
It seems Trump wants to cut costs at the expense of quality. This is where my problem with Democrats lies. I’m not here to defend insurance companies or our healthcare system. Both clearly need reform.
So why can’t Democrats explain what it means that “the money should go to the people”?
I understand the message is affordability, and as someone who bought both a steak and a carton of milk this week, I understand how powerful this issue is.
Yet everyone, Democrat or Republican, wants adequate health care they can afford and the comfort of knowing they can access help if something terrible happens. No matter how low the premium, there is no American who would happily pay for insurance every month, leaving them or their loved ones without care when they need it most.
Grandpa Trump doesn’t have that concern because he has the best health care our taxes can buy.
But when he promises to send a check rather than provide management and organization for one of the most critical purchases of our lives, the message is sickening: My victory for your kindness.
