The Trump administration has ramped up its attack on the Affordable Care Act by backing a federal judge's decision to declare the entire law unconstitutional. For now, Obamacare is still standing. Around 4.1 million Americans have signed up for new plans so far this year, according to government reports, down 12% from last year. At a rally this week, Mr Trump again promised his supporters: "We are going to get rid of Obamacare." But how much has he delivered on that pledge so far? Repealing individual mandate Congressional Republicans last year finally succeeded in repealing the Obamacare requirement that people buy health insurance or pay a tax penalty. In December 2018, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the repeal of this "essential" part of the law meant the entirety of Obamacare is therefore unconstitutional. The law, however, remains in place as an appeal heads to the US Supreme Court. The mandate was not as successful as Obamacare's architects hoped in driving younger, healthier Americans into the healthcare marketplace. Now, as they ditch their coverage, analysts say insurance firms are making up for the loss by charging more to the sick or medically vulnerable patients left behind. Creating 'skinny' plans In 2018, the Trump administration allowed small businesses to offer Americans cheaper, less-comprehensive policies called Association Health Plans (AHPs) that last only up to a year. Since AHPs are short-term, companies can charge higher premiums or deny coverage based on medical history and pre-existing conditions, which Obamacare made illegal for long-term plans. These skimpy plans are meant to appeal to young, healthy Americans, but some AHPs may not cover basics like prescription drugs or maternity care. But in March 2019, a federal judge in Washington DC blocked AHPs on the grounds that they are "clearly an end-run around" to patient protections in the ACA. Shortening enrolment Initially, users had 90 days to sign up for insurance on the federal marketplace. In 2017, the Trump administration cut it down to 45 days, and then closed the website every Sunday for 12 hours, citing maintenance. Slashing ads and budgets Funding for the "navigator" programme, under which trained individuals or organisations help people sign up for insurance through Obamacare, has dropped from $62.5m (£48m) to $10m under President Trump. His administration has also cut Obamacare advertising spending to $10m - a 90% reduction. According to a November 2018 Kaiser Health poll, 61% of Americans aged 18 to 64 said they did not know about any enrolment deadlines. Ending cost-sharing reduction payments Insurance companies who covered lower-income Obamacare patients used to get cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments from the US government. When the Trump administration cancelled these payments in October 2017, insurance firms increased premiums to compensate for the loss. The end of CSR payments had little effect on lower-income Americans, who still receive other healthcare subsidies. But it did lead to a cost hike for patients who pay full-price for their medical coverage. Medicaid work requirements The Trump administration has tried to push through work requirements for those using Medicaid - a free healthcare service for low-income Americans - saying it's a way to help end poverty. The policies are state-led and then federally approved. So far, eight states have passed rules requiring many Medicaid users to work, volunteer or train to receive benefits, US media report. On 27 March, a federal judge in Washington DC blocked "arbitrary and capricious" Trump administration-approved policies in Arkansas and Kentucky, punting them back to the Department of Health and Human Services for amending. Get insured your whole family by exploring the family health plan york and if you want to know more then please contact us in the comment section.
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11/7/2019 04:52:46 am
Informative post!! Thanks for providing such a useful information with us..
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