Perspectives On Trump’s Plans For Health Care And Obamacare’s Last Gasps
Opinion and editorial writers offer their thoughts about what is next in the nation's health policy debate.
The New York Times:
Tom Price, A Radical Choice For Health Secretary
In picking Representative Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump has chosen as his secretary of health and human services a man intent on systematically weakening, if not demolishing, the nation’s health care safety net. Mr. Price, a Republican from Georgia, is a fierce opponent of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health reform law, and beyond that, supports plans to slash Medicare and Medicaid, which cover tens of millions of elderly, disabled and low-income Americans. (11/30)
Bloomberg:
Another Piece Of Obamacare That Trump Should Keep
To get a sense of the future of American health care, amidst the post-election uncertainty, watch what happens to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. This agency, created as part of the Affordable Care Act, has attracted substantial opposition. A recent proposal to change reimbursement to doctors for administering certain drugs, in particular, has led to calls that it be abolished. But let's hope the center survives, because it could prove crucial to any new effort to raise the value of health care in the U.S. (Peter R. Orszag, 11/29)
The Washington Post:
Obamacare Is Probably Toast. And A Lot Of Poor, White Trump Voters Will Get Hurt By It.
Donald Trump has chosen GOP Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, a longtime critic of the Affordable Care Act, as his secretary for Health and Human Services. This likely means that, at best, the health law will be repealed and replaced by something that covers far fewer people, or that, at worst, it will get repealed outright, leaving even more people without coverage. So what does this mean for poor and working-class white Trump voters who are currently benefiting from the law, some no doubt enjoying health coverage for the first time in their lives? (Greg Sargent, 11/29)
Miami Herald:
Dump Health Law? Not So Fast, Congress
For years, Republicans have tried to sabotage the Affordable Care Act by any means possible. House Republicans have voted at least 60 times to kill the law. Sabotaging a law doesn’t take legislative skill; it merely requires a party marching in ideological lockstep to defy a president they never liked. But now that a Republican president will be in the White House with a GOP-majority Congress, Republicans will have the burden of governing. They — and the incoming president — will find that crafting thoughtful legislation, if that’s what they truly want, to improve the lives of Americans is harder than sending out a tweet. (11/29)
Columbus Dispatch:
Other Viewpoints: Replacing Obamacare Is A Challenge
Millions of Americans won’t mourn the passing of the expensive, complex and ultimately unworkable Obamacare law. But just as the demolition of a large building must be carefully planned and executed, so too must the dismantling of Obamacare. Millions of Americans rely on it for coverage. Tossing them off the rolls without offering them something better is cruel and invites a political backlash. (11/30)
St. Louis Post Dispatch:
Insurers Are Charging More For Less Coverage | Opinion | Stltoday.Com
Now that the elections are over, it’s just the beginning of what could be a troubling reform process to the Affordable Care Act, particularly for those with pre-existing conditions. Whether significant changes to the Affordable Care Act are on the horizon in the very near future remains to be seen, but people with pre-existing conditions will be paying close attention in the coming weeks as a new administration takes over governing entities. While there is a notable outcry regarding the recent announcement that premiums for plans under the Affordable Care Act will rise by an average of 25 percent next year, there is a much more serious, if not deadly, issue facing Americans. It’s an insurer maneuver that denies patient access to life-saving treatments. (Paul Gileno, 11/29)
