ObamaCare’s sixth sign-up season begins Thursday with stabilized premiums and more choice for consumers — and as President Trump continues to insist that the GOP will protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions despite his party’s efforts to end such coverage.
“Republicans will protect people with pre-existing conditions far better than the Dems!” Trump tweeted on Wednesday, repeating a claim he frequently makes at his MAGA rallies.
But Trump and congressional Republicans have increased the availability of so-called “short term” plans that do not require insurers to cover pre-existing conditions, maternity care or prescription drug costs.
The administration also filed a legal brief backing a number of red states, led by Texas, that would eliminate pre-existing condition protections completely.
Team Trump argued in the filing that such protections were unconstitutional and ought to be thrown out.
Additionally, 20 Republican state attorneys general have sued in federal court to dismantle ObamaCare, including protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
And the president and GOP lawmakers repeatedly tried and failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act altogether.
Democrats scoffed at the president’s claim.
“Literally no one believes that,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer replied on Twitter to Trump’s post.
“This tweet is a Halloween trick, not treat,” tweeted Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin.
“In 2017, President Trump & Republicans were one vote away from ending protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Since then, his Administration has been relentless in its efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care.”
Meanwhile, average premiums for plans provided by the act are going up nationally by low single-digit percentages for 2019.
In some states, and for some types of plans, premiums will decline. Fewer areas will see increases, and insurers also are expanding their participation.
But it might be harder this year to find help in enrolling, after the administration sharply scaled back funding for sign-up counselors known as “navigators.”
But independent community groups still guide consumers through the paperwork.
And in a change that takes effect Jan. 1, those who decide to opt out of health insurance won’t be penalized come tax time.
About 10 million people have private policies through HealthCare.gov and state-run insurance markets, with roughly 9 in 10 getting taxpayer-financed help to pay their premiums.
An estimated 12 million more are covered through the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, aimed at low-income adults.
Health care ranks among voters’ top concerns going into next week’s midterm elections, and Democrats have made preserving the ACA’s protections for pre-existing conditions a key issue.
A new Kaiser Foundation study estimates that if not for the changes by Trump and Congress, premiums would have been substantially lower next year.
Standard “silver” plans will cost about 16 percent more than they would have otherwise, the analysis found.
Consumers have until Dec. 15 to sign up through HealthCare.gov.
With AP