While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains the law of the land, President Trump and his administration are actively trying to sabotage our health care system as we approach open enrollment when people can sign up for health coverage on the ACA marketplaces. Here are three ways the Trump administration is undermining our health care, and what the consequences of these actions could mean for millions of Americans.
- Threatening to end funding that helps insurance companies reduce out-of-pocket costs. The Trump administration has threatened for months to cancel cost sharing reduction—the payments that help lower Americans’ deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs. If Trump follows through, the results would be catastrophic. Premiums would be 19 percent higher than they already are.
- Abandoning ACA outreach. Latinos have seen the largest rise in the number of people with health coverage among ethnic groups in America thanks to the ACA. But with the open enrollment period just two months away, the Trump administration is dragging its feet on coordinating with national and local organizations to develop a strategy for community outreach. And they still refuse to say whether they will even advertise this year.
- Cutting enrollment assistance. Last month, the Trump administration ended contracts that provided in-person assistance in 18 cities across the U.S., leaving Americans with fewer places to seek help in signing up for coverage. There’s only one reason to do this: To make it more difficult for uninsured people to enroll, and more confusing for people with insurance to re-enroll or shop for a new policy.
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