After President Trump ran for office on a platform that included repealing the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have been struggling to do just that. However, piecemeal regulations and sections of the new GOP tax law have been able to chip away at the ACA. According to a new report by the Urban Institute, 9 million fewer Americans will have health insurance in 2019 because of the Republicans’ policy changes.
In the new tax law, the ACA’s individual mandate (which fined people who did not have health insurance) was repealed, which the CBO estimated would lead to 4 million fewer people buying plans. President Trump also made several executive orders that will lead to fewer people with insurance, according to the Urban Institute, including shortening the open-enrollment period for signups, reducing the advertising budgets for signups, and eliminating a subsidy that helped poor people afford health insurance.
The administration has also proposed extending the time customers could sign up for short-term health insurance policies, which are not covered by the ACA and had been limited to just three months under the Obama administration. The Urban Institute predicts that about 2.5 million people who are eligible for the ACA exchanges will sign up for one of these plans since they will be cheaper because they offer fewer benefits. Also according to the Urban Institute, in the 86% of states that have not banned or limited these short-term health care plans, Obamacare premiums will rise close to 20% and further destabilize the market.
(Via CNN Money)