Key Highlights
- Have to do it right now so that we can get immediate relief to the American people.”The policy framework had been expected to be released in November, but was delayed by wrangling over certain elements of it, according to Politico. The issue of rising healthcare premiums has become a millstone for Republicans in recent weeks after the failure to reach agreement on the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies saw sharp increases for at least 22 million Americans.
- Last week, 17 members of the Republican House majority broke with the White House to advance legislation restoring credits established during the Biden administration that expired at the end of last year. Trump has hinted he might veto the bill, which extends the premiums for three years, if it passes the Senate. The framework makes no mention of any further attempt by the administration to weaken or scrap the ACA, also known as Obamacare, which Trump has frequently railed against during his two terms of office. But it contains policy elements that lawmakers in Congress might oppose, including a call for billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to be sent to Americans’ personal health savings accounts, instead of directly to insurance companies, to allow them to buy health insurance of their choice; and requiring pharmaceutical companies to match or better “the same low prices for prescription drugs that people in other countries pay”. Both elements of the Trump plan would require the approval of Congress before they could go into effect, an outcome far from guaranteed despite Republicans holding a majority in both chambers.“The plan clearly opposes extension of the expiring ACA marketplace subsidies, without which roughly 4 million people will end up uninsured and many millions more will see their marketplace premiums double or increase by even more.
- Instead, the plan criticizes the enhanced subsidies and talks about sending money to individuals directly to purchase coverage on their own,” said Edwin Park, a research professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. Park said the plan also “appropriates the ‘cost-sharing reductions’ under the Affordable Care Act”, which would “have the effect of reducing premium tax credit amounts for those eligible for subsidies (while lowering unsubsidized premiums).
- The result would actually be more uninsured as low-income people see smaller subsidies and higher premiums they cannot afford.”Park added: “The ‘plan’ includes absolutely no detail even though the president and the administration have been promising a credible health plan within two weeks for many, many years.
- Instead, as in the past, this plan is more about increasing the num.
