Written by Michelle Bui
In addition to all the controversies about immigration policy and political legitimacy, one of Trump’s more pressing homeland concerns is his new healthcare plan, which was recently approved by the House of Representatives. Although he promised it would be a positive deviation from ObamaCare, this may not be the case for millions of Americans.
Back in 2010, Obama passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), oftentimes called ObamaCare, in hopes of expanding healthcare coverage to a wider range of Americans, especially the poor. It mandated that everyone who could afford healthcare acquire it or pay a penalty fee, their funds contributing to federal expenditures to pay for health insurance for those living below the poverty line. These payments would become subsidies, which would cover part of the insurance payments for citizens who could not afford healthcare. Oftentimes, these same people would also qualify for Medicaid, a state and federally funded healthcare program that was also expanded under the ACA to provide more health insurance to the poor [3].
As a result of these changes, from 2010 to 2015, nearly 20 million people gained health insurance, with the greatest increase seen in California, which saw a 53.4% decrease in the proportion of uninsured citizens [1]. Other numbers also point to the ACA’s success: 2.8 million minors received health insurance, and among various ethnic groups, uninsured rates fell anywhere from 36.2 to 44.7% [1].
Despite its success, many people–notably those who were forced to pay for health insurance–dislike the ACA, and Trump has put his efforts towards repealing it. As the new president claims, people should not be forced to buy insurance. In his campaign, he promised to replace the ACA with a plan that does not have such a mandate but that still provides everyone with sufficient health care.
The plan that he has proposed gets rid of some of the most controversial parts of ObamaCare, but also some of the most helpful. While people will no longer be required to have insurance, those who need it may not be able to afford it. This is because the plan will cut Medicaid spending by $880 billion, effectively stripping millions of people of the health care they had received before [2]. In addition, states can now waiver out of ObamaCare and will be given grants to create their own health care programs. Analysts predict that these funds, totalling up to $138 billion for the nation (much less than how much will be cut) will not be enough to provide for all the Americans who are losing health care [2]. They estimate that overall the plan will lead to 24 million fewer people covered than under ObamaCare [2].
Despite its harmful implications to a large portion of the American population, the bill was passed in the House of Representatives and is now awaiting approval in the Senate. In the meantime, people of all economic backgrounds–from the poor afraid of losing their coverage to the wealthy hoping for a plan that’s less draining on their wallet–will be waiting anxiously.
References:
1. Garrett, Bowen and Anuj Gangopadhyaya. “Who Gained Health Insurance Under the ACA, and Where Do They Live?” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. December 2016. Web. 26 February 2017.
2. Kodjak, Alison. “Here’s What’s In the House-Approved Health Care Bill.” National Public Radio. 4 May 2017. Web. 5 May 2017.
3. “ObamaCare Facts: An Independent Site for ACA Advice.” Obamacare Facts. Web. 26 February 2017.