While we rightfully celebrate the fact that Donald Trump and Paul Ryan failed today at inflicting TrumpCare on America, we can’t lose sight of the fact that when Donald Trump says Obamacare is exploding, it’s because he’s doing his darnedest behind the scenes to blow it up, a piece at a time.
“The Trump administration has a great deal of flexibility to make changes that don’t require congressional approval,” says Elizabeth Carpenter, a senior vice president at Avalere Health, a healthcare consulting company. The changes could result in sharply higher premiums and less coverage for many.
HHS Secretary Tom Price has admitted that he wants to weaken the ACA provisions that mandate that insurers cover 10 essential health benefits, including maternity care, prescription drugs, doctors visits, emergency room care, lab tests, and mental health services. He can't make that change without legislation, but he can issue new regulations that narrow what that coverage means.
If the essential health benefit rules do change, insurers could sell what used to be called “junk insurance,” which offers limited coverage and may not even cover major illnesses. “Your premiums may be lower, but if you need care, you might have to pay out of your own pocket to get what you need,” says Blumberg.
People with pre-existing conditions could have needed treatments left uncovered, forcing them to pay for expensive treatments out of their own pocket. “Yes, you can’t be denied insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition. But if you have cancer, your insurer doesn’t have to cover chemotherapy, or if you have a hospital stay, they may only cover one day,” she says.
Lots more here: GOP Health Care Overhaul
Although Paul Ryan and Donald Trump didn’t succeed in stealing the car today, they’re busy pouring sugar in the gas tank and letting the air out of the tires.