Will My Insurance Now Be More Expensive?: Questions Abound After Busy End Of The Week
There's lots of confusion for consumers about exactly what all this news about the health law means. A handful of different media outlets try to break it down for people.
The New York Times:
Yes, You Can Still Enroll In Obamacare: Five Answers To Questions About Getting Covered
President Trump continues to scale back the Affordable Care Act, dealing twin blows to the law this week. But you can still sign up for coverage for 2018 because the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. Here’s some guidance. (Park, 10/14)
The Associated Press:
Key Questions And Answers About Trump's Health Care Move
President Donald Trump's move to stop paying a major "Obamacare" subsidy will raise costs for many consumers who buy their own health insurance, and make an already complicated system more challenging for just about everybody. Experts say the consequences will vary depending on how much money you earn, the state you live in, and other factors. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/14)
Politico:
Trump Scraps Obamacare Payments. What Happens Now?
President Donald Trump’s decision to eliminate a key Obamacare insurance subsidy amounted to one of his fiercest attacks yet on his predecessor’s health care law. But it could still be weeks or even months before it’s clear whether the move will be the decisive blow that brings down Obamacare’s insurance marketplaces. (Millman, 10/13)
The Washington Post:
Trump Scrapped A Key Obamacare Payment. Here’s What Comes Next.
The decision triggered sharp condemnations from major players across the American health-care system. But while the payments to insurance companies do benefit lower-income Americans, taking these payments away will have some counterintuitive effects — and likely won't hurt the poorest the most. Here's how the effects could play out. (Johnson, 10/13)
The Hill:
Five Things To Know About Trump’s Controversial ObamaCare Decision
The Trump administration’s decision to end payments to insurers meant to help low-income people afford their insurance has set off a battle in the courts and new fears about the possible collapse of former President Obama’s health-care law. Ending the payments is the most dramatic step taken to date by President Trump, who has been frustrated with the GOP Congress’s inability to repeal the law. (Weixel, 10/14)
Bloomberg:
Is Trump Replacing Obamacare Or Trying To Gut It?
U.S. President Donald Trump spent much of the year seething as his Republican allies in Congress failed to pass legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, as Trump had promised during his campaign. On Thursday, he took a flurry of steps that he said were meant to replace “piece by piece” what he called “a broken mess.” Democrats call his actions just the latest in a series of efforts to sabotage Obamacare, as the ACA is called. Insurers and health-care groups say Trump’s moves will lead to higher costs for consumers and could potentially destabilize the marketplaces Obamacare created to serve millions of Americans. (Rausch and Tracer, 10/16)
Bloomberg:
Trump's New Obamacare Killer To Cost Uncle Sam $194 Billion
President Donald Trump is halting some Obamacare subsidies. A big money saver for taxpayers, right? Wrong. The move could actually force the government to dole out almost $200 billion more on health insurance over the next decade. Here’s why: The insurer payouts Trump cut off aren’t the only government funds financing the program. Consumers also can get help with their insurance premiums. When the insurer subsidies are discontinued, those premiums are pushed higher -- and because the consumer subsidies are far bigger than those given to insurers, that’s a costly trade. (Tracer, 10/13)
And KHN helps you make sense of what's going on —
Kaiser Health News:
Trump Acting Solo: What You Need To Know About Changes To The Health Law
Apparently frustrated by Congress’ inability to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, President Donald Trump this week decided to take matters into his own hands. Late Thursday evening, the White House announced it would cease key payments to insurers. Earlier on Thursday, Trump signed an executive order aimed at giving people who buy their own insurance easier access to different types of health plans that were limited under the ACA rules set by the Obama administration. (Rovner, Carey and Appleby, 10/13)
Kaiser Health News:
Facebook Live: Trump Ends Payments For Cost-Sharing Reductions. What’s Next?
President Donald Trump has followed through on a long-standing threat. His administration announced late Thursday it will halt federal payments for the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing reductions. This is the latest blow to the stability of the ACA’s insurance marketplaces, and it is triggering significant confusion among consumers and insurers. This live chat features KHN senior correspondent Jay Hancock answering questions about what it might mean for the upcoming open enrollment period and beyond. (10/13)
Kaiser Health News:
Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Let’s Blow It Up
With Congress having given up on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, at least for now, President Donald Trump stepped in to try to make some changes himself. On Thursday, he signed an executive order aimed at making insurance cheaper for some people, but in ways that could make it more expensive for others. (10/13)
