Within his first 48 hours in office, Trump signed several executive orders that threatened health care for millions of Americans.
In a flurry of executive orders, some of which were signed live on television on Inauguration Night, the U.S. president expanded health care access and options for low-income and middle-class Americans. issued several orders repealing Biden-era directives.
These orders are expected to impact health insurance coverage for more than 20 million Americans.
“The previous administration embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and extremist practices into every agency and office of the federal government,” Trump said in a public statement, referencing several health-related orders. I did. Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policy of having “corrupt” institutions for Americans.
Those whose coverage is currently considered at risk are the approximately 24 million Americans who purchased health insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year. The ACA, also known as Obamacare, helped expand Medicaid benefits and provided affordable health insurance to millions of people.
Trump's actions this week impact all aspects of the ACA, including eligibility requirements, federal aid, and enrollment deadlines. However, the action is expected to create more barriers and make health care coverage more accessible.
In a one-page document published by Politico, Trump outlines options for cutting spending. These plans include measures to reduce the amount states must fund Medicaid and limit eligibility for health programs based on citizenship status. All options listed include funding reductions and access for medical coverage.
Some of the Biden-era orders that Trump has already repealed include Executive Order 14009, or the Medicaid Strengthening and Affordable Care Act. Some estimates suggest that this repeal alone could reduce ACA coverage by nearly 25%.
Additionally, Trump repealed an executive order aimed at reducing prescription drug costs for people in Medicare and Medicaid, the government health insurance programs that primarily serve older and lower-income Americans. did.
The Biden administration previously introduced the American Rescue Plan Act, a subsidy program to reduce the cost of health insurance premiums. This expanded eligibility requirements to include more people in the American middle class.
However, the program is set to expire at the end of this year. The White House website has removed mention of the plan, and Trump has already repealed EO 14070, which the ARP Act would increase to cover, including expanded market subsidies that reduced the cost of premiums. We highlight the positive impact on access.
Executive Order 14070 also provided state options to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage.
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A weakened ACA has consequences that reach even further than just Americans losing coverage. The lack of federally funded health care options will likely give privatized insurance companies more power to control the health care industry, and any remaining health insurance options will likely increase costs. means.
“The consequences of more people becoming uninsured are not only at the individual level, with more medical debt and healthy outcomes, but also have ripple effects for providers,” said Dr. A certain Sabrina Colette also has one. Georgetown University Health Insurance Reform said.
Commercial insurance has proven difficult to navigate for millions, as people with insurance are just as likely to experience medical debt as people who are uninsured. In fact, people with health insurance likely represent the majority of American hospitals, according to medical billing analysts.
“Premiums go up for people who have health insurance. For people without health insurance, it's financially devastating,” Collette said. “As a result, we acquired wage and liens on people’s homes and acquired wage and liens on people’s homes because they couldn’t pay their bills.”
