ICYMI: GOP’s “Disdain” For Health Care Law An “Obstacle” For Millions of Americans Without Insurance

Republicans’ Reckless Decision To Keep Special Enrollment Closed Makes It Harder for Those Who’ve Lost Employer-Provided Care, Millions of Uninsured to Get Covered

As Americans lose their employer-provided insurance and others are without coverage, the Trump administration and Washington Republicans have created an “obstacle for millions of uninsured people” to get health care, according to a new report from the Associated Press.

To make matters worse, the Trump administration is telling overwhelmed, cash-strapped hospitals to pick up the tab for treating uninsured COVID-19 patients using the pandemic relief funds they desperately need for other expenses, like more staff and personal protective equipment. Instead of simply making it easier for people to get coverage, Republicans are leaving Americans without options and telling hospitals and health care workers to foot the bill in a public health crisis.

One of the main reasons the administration won’t re-open the health care exchanges is “the president’s support for a federal lawsuit that would overturn the entire law” – a lawsuit that Senate Republicans enabled by voting for the GOP corporate tax giveaway. Every single Republican incumbent and candidate has either voted to repeal the health care law or expressed support for tearing it down. No GOP senators have taken meaningful action to stop the Republican lawsuit that would overturn the ACA and wipe away its protections, or to push the president to open a special enrollment period.

“Washington Republicans are so focused on dismantling our health care system that they’re willing to leave American families, hospitals, and health care workers out to dry during a pandemic,” said DSCC spokesperson Helen Kalla. “GOP senators’ refusal to lift a finger to pressure the administration to put the health and safety of their constituents first says everything we need to know about where their priorities truly lie.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

AP: Trump’s disdain for ‘Obamacare’ could hamper virus response

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

April 13, 2020

Key Points:

• The Trump administration’s unrelenting opposition to “Obamacare” could become an obstacle for millions of uninsured people in the coronavirus outbreak, as well as many who are losing coverage in the economic shutdown.

• Experts say the Affordable Care Act’s insurance markets provide a ready-made infrastructure for extending subsidized private coverage in every state, allowing more people access to medical treatment before they get so sick they have to go to the emergency room. In about three-fourths of the states, expanded Medicaid is also available to low-income people.

• But the Trump administration has resisted reopening the ACA’s HealthCare.gov marketplace for uninsured people who missed the last sign-up period. And it doesn’t seem to be doing much to inform people who lost job-based coverage that they’re eligible for insurance now through the ACA.

• State-run exchanges prominently promote the availability of coverage, but users of HealthCare.gov have to go through a series of clicks to get that information.

• Some of the biggest coverage gains under the Obama-era law came among African Americans and Hispanics, groups that face grave complications from coronavirus infections due to high rates of underlying diseases like diabetes.

• Instead of taking a similar approach as states like New York and California, the Trump administration has directed hospitals to use part of a $100 billion health system relief fund to offset costs of treating uninsured patients with COVID-19.

• The American Medical Association says that money won’t be enough. COVID-19 treatment for the uninsured could cost from $14 billion to $48 billion, according to a recent estimate from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. And Congress intended the stimulus bill to help hospitals and medical offices meet basic operating costs.

• The American Hospital Association supports opening up HealthCare.gov and a new, separate fund to pay for treating the uninsured.

• — Before the coronavirus outbreak about 28 million people were uninsured. Many would have been eligible for Obamacare but failed to sign up. Without a new enrollment period, most are out of options. If they get infected by the coronavirus, they might postpone seeking help until they get really sick, hurting their own chances and exposing others to infection.

• — Another group of between 12 million and 35 million people could lose workplace coverage, according to an estimate by the research and consulting firm Health Management Associates. People in this group are entitled to a special sign-up opportunity through HealthCare.gov and some may be eligible for Medicaid. That’s if they know about these options.

• Officially, the Trump administration remains committed to overturning the Obama-era health law, which will soon face another test at the Supreme Court.

• With more than 1 in 10 workers recently losing jobs, the mainstay of employer coverage will shrink. Government programs are intended to take up the slack. How much, and how smoothly that happens, will have political ramifications for November’s elections.

Read the full story here.

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