Trump Administration to Wage War on Americans With Individual Health Insurance

They Want to Destroy the Market in Order to Save Destroy It

Everyone now knows that the major goal of the Ryan/Trump health care bill was to take health insurance away from millions and to raise the costs of those who remained on individual coverage.  We know this because the CBO scored the Republican bill and after they released their results Republicans including Ryan and Trump increased their advocacy for the measure.

With the defeat of the bill the WSJ is documenting how Republican will still be able to gut the individual market and attack low income and disabled people on Medicaid.  And a new goal is now added, place the blame on the out of power ineffective Democrats.

“The Trump administration could weaken a requirement that most Americans pay a penalty for not having insurance. It could usher in work requirements for Medicaid recipients and ease a directive that insurers cover such services as contraception. And it could also allow an end to certain subsidies that insurers get, which could quickly cause the individual markets to crater.

Some of these steps, such as new likely requirements for Medicaid enrollees, are already under way. Republican leaders have long said administrative changes are a key part of their plan to change the health-care system. Now it may be largely the only one left.

Dr. Price and Seema Verma, the administrator of HHS’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recently wrote a letter to states assuring them of support if they request waivers to impose work requirements on recipients of Medicaid, the federal-state health program for the poor and disabled.”

The most damaging thing the Republican can do is to eliminate enforcement of the individual mandate, the requirement that everyone have health insurance.  This will result in low risk individuals withdrawing from the exchanges, and the remaining individuals will then face much higher premiums.  The cherry on top of this sundae, the GOP will blame Dems. 

Gutting health care and being able to blame the Democrats, it’s a Republican dream come true.  The right wing propoganda machine is already gearing up, heck they may pubish the stories before they happen.