What Trump’s Presidency Will Mean To A State That Embraced The Health Law
Millions of Californians' health care is in jeopardy if Donald Trump and congressional Republicans roll back the health law that is currently shaping California's health system.
East Bay Times:
What Does Donald Trump Have In Store For California?
Vanessa Williamson, a fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution, said Trump might struggle to get some of his campaign pledges, such as a major infrastructure bill, through a Congress filled with deficit hawks. But, she said, GOP lawmakers will likely be in lockstep when it comes to trillions of dollars in tax cuts that will mostly help the rich as well as the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. That would not only jeopardize the health coverage of most of the 1.4 million Californians who receive subsidized insurance plans. It could also blow a multibillion-dollar hole in California’s budget. Here’s why: California was one of the first states to expand Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California) to low-income adults without children, a provision allowed under Obamacare. About 3.8 million low-income Californians have enrolled in the expanded program, with the feds now picking up the tab to the tune of $15 billion a year. (Artz, 11/9)
Sacramento Bee:
Will Donald Trump Abolish Obamacare? The Presidential Election Raises Questions About The Future Of The Affordable Care Act And Its Impact On Consumers
Is Obamacare over? On his first day in office, President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed, he will abolish the Affordable Care Act, the contentious health care law that has been both applauded and hated across the country.But whether that will happen – or what it will mean for consumers – is one of the big question marks in the aftermath of Tuesday’s election. (Buck, 11/10)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
What Does Trump's Vow To Kill Obamacare Mean For Open Enrollment?
Now that Trump has won the election, that promise takes on a more direct meaning for more than 10 million Americans currently receiving their health coverage from a plan they purchased through a state or federal health insurance exchange. More than 1.3 million Californians — an estimated 123,910 of them in San Diego County — have until Jan. 31, 2017 to decide if they want to stick with their current plans or fine a different options that suit them better. Already anxiety-producing because some plans have posted double-digit premium increases for 2017, Obamacare’s fourth open enrollment suddenly has a new dimension: Current enrollees must decide how to interpret Trump’s vow to undo the Affordable Care Act. (Sisson, 11/9)
California Healthline:
California Faces Major Reversal If Trump, Congress Scrap Health Law
California has a lot to lose if President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress fulfill their campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare. The Golden State fully embraced the Affordable Care Act by expanding Medicaid coverage for the poor and creating its own health insurance exchange for about 1.4 million enrollees. Supporters held California up as proof the health law could work as intended. (Terhune, 11/9)