Thursday, May 31, 2018

Trump Set To Float Insurance 1/2 the Cost of Obamacare


By Dick Morris
May 29, 2018 at 2:09pm
As Maryland Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer said, Obamacare is in a “death spiral” of fewer enrollees, more dropouts and higher premiums (huge increases coming later this year).
One-third of the people who enrolled in Obamacare in January 2015 dropped out by the end of the year. The data for ensuing years will be worse.
Now, President Donald Trump is considering — and will likely sign — new regulations to offer a much lower-cost health insurance plan with excellent coverage.
These short-term plans cost an average of $342/month vs. $619/month for basically the same coverage under Obamacare.
They are available for periods of one year, though they are renewable.
Obamacare regulations require expensive polices covering every possible service, driving up premiums.
Lacking the 60 votes in the Senate to repeal those regulations requirement, Trump is using the loophole of “short-term” plans to skirt them and lower costs. (You’ll have to do without coverage for sex-change operations).
But, there’s a huge catch that Trump is likely to remedy.
Currently, short-term plans allow premiums to go up — even way up — when people get really sick.
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Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar wants Trump to allow “renewal guarantees” on short-term health policies, reversing the Obama rules that prohibit them.
If Trump goes ahead and follows Azar’s recommendation, these new health care policies will provide a full range of benefits — including protection and no higher premiums if you get sick — at about half the cost.
It would be good if we repealed Obamacare.
That way future presidents can’t spring this trap again on the American people.
But if Trump approves Azar’s recommendation, Americans will be able to get good insurance at affordable prices, the Obamacare goal that it never really met.
Trump is going to keep Obama’s campaign promises for him!

Dick Morris is a former adviser to President Bill Clinton as well as a political author, pollster and consultant. His most recent book, “Rogue Spooks,” was written with his wife, Eileen McGann.
The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website.

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