Beyond Insurer Subsidies: What Else Trump Can Do To Nudge ACA Toward Collapse
The Hill and KHN look at the steps the administration can take to undermine the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, a group of Democrats wants to investigate the Department of Health and Human Service's efforts to push out anti-Obamacare messaging.
The Hill:
What Trump Can Do To Cripple ObamaCare
If Congress isn’t able to repeal ObamaCare, it’s likely that the Trump administration will follow through on the president's vow to let the law fail. President Trump regularly asserts that ObamaCare is dead or dying, and the administration has already taken steps to undermine the law while congressional Republicans struggle to enact healthcare legislation. (Weixel, 7/23)
Kaiser Health News:
5 Ways White House Can Use Its Muscle To Undercut Obamacare
President Donald Trump has vowed to “let Obamacare fail,” after legislative efforts to undo the Affordable Care Act have stalled. He and congressional Republicans have repeatedly portrayed the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces, also known as exchanges, as being in a “death spiral.” But independent analyses have concluded that such spontaneous disintegration isn’t happening. (Luthra, 7/24)
The Hill:
Senate Dems Question Admin Over Funding Anti-ObamaCare Effort
A group of Senate Democrats is raising concerns to the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) about its role in a public relations campaign aimed at effectively undermining ObamaCare. Democratic Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Brian Schatz (Hawaii) raised the concerns in a letter to HHS, The Daily Beast reported. ( Manchester, 7/22)
And in other news on the ACA and its marketplaces —
WBUR:
Even Talking About Weakening Obamacare Provisions Weakens The Exchanges
Every month, the Trump administration faces a deadline to pay what are called "cost-sharing reduction" (or CSR) subsidies to insurers. ... Trump reportedly wants to end the payments, as Politico reported, but the White House chose this week to continue the payments once again. Still, the ongoing ambiguity about the future of the payments is apparently causing premiums to rise and insurers to pull out of markets. (Kurtzleben, 7/21)
Georgia Health News:
Georgia’s Health Insurance Exchange Faces A Murky Future
Will Georgia’s health insurance exchange in 2018 resemble this year’s version – or will the state be left with large coverage holes? ... Senators this week are expected to consider a simple repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a “repeal and replace’’ plan, and variations of both. (Miller, 7/21)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Obamacare: Dead, Alive Or In Limbo? 5 Things To Know
New ideas are being considered, but no one -- including lawmakers -- seems to know what will happen if a vote is called next week to either kill the Affordable Care Act or amend it. ...So if you worry that you'll lose health coverage, or hope you'll be free of the ACA's mandates to get coverage, here's what to know. (Koff, 7/22)
PolitiFact California/Capital Public Radio:
Kevin McCarthy's False Claim On Obamacare Sign-Ups
Congressman Kevin McCarthy claimed almost twice as many people have paid a penalty or taken a waiver as signed up for Obamacare. By focusing only on enrollment through the Obamacare exchanges, McCarthy’s claim presents a narrow and misleading look at total insurance sign-ups under the federal health law. Even under the limited view, those foregoing insurance do not amount to "almost twice" the exchange sign-ups. Most notably, the congressman’s claim ignores the huge category of Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. (Nichols, 7/21)
