As millions of people across the United States lose their jobs — and their employer-provided health insurance — amid the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump has reportedly decided against reopening Affordable Care Act enrollment to ease the economic pain of the uninsured and help protect them from devastating medical costs.
An anonymous White House official told Politico Tuesday night that the Trump administration will not reopen HealthCare.gov for a special enrollment period as the U.S. battles the COVID-19 outbreak, disregarding urgent pleas from a diverse array of advocacy groups and more than 100 members of Congress. The White House is “exploring other options,” the official said without elaborating.
“This isn’t just an outrageous decision, but it’s also a deadly one,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas.). “Moments ago, Donald Trump announced we should expect 100-200k deaths in the U.S. For those without health insurance, this is fatal. It’s time to end this senseless war on healthcare.”
The annual ACA enrollment period ended in December, though some are still eligible for special enrollment despite the Trump administration’s tireless efforts to restrict eligibility.
While around a dozen states that run their own ACA exchanges have reopened enrollment, most states rely on the federal marketplace directed by the Trump administration, which is currently backing a Republican lawsuit that, if successful, would overturn the ACA and throw tens of millions more off their insurance.
“In the middle a pandemic that could kill hundreds of thousands, Trump and his toadies are deliberately blocking Americans from buying healthcare,” tweeted Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.Y.). “Theirs is fanatical cruelty that will kill people.”
As HuffPost’s Jeff Young wrote late Tuesday, “the negative consequences of this active refusal to offer help to vulnerable Americans are obvious”:
The people living in the 38 states that use HealthCare.gov — and those in Idaho, which hasn’t reactivated its state-run exchange — will likely remain uninsured, leaving them potentially exposed to tens of thousands of dollars in costs if they get sick from the novel coronavirus and need medical treatment.
Moreover, the high cost of healthcare frequently discourages Americans from seeking care, especially those who are among the 28 million uninsured. And sick people not being isolated and treated means they are at risk of spreading the coronavirus to more people.
Progressives have argued repeatedly in recent weeks that the spread of the novel coronavirus and the resulting economic collapse have exposed the cruelty of a for-profit healthcare system that ties insurance to employment and essential care to one’s ability to shoulder the often exorbitant costs. Medicare for All, advocates say, is the only humane and reasonable solution to the crisis in the long-term.
In the meantime, progressive lawmakers and activists have demanded that all coronavirus testing, treatment, and potential cures be made free and available for everyone in the United States.
As Common Dreams reported Monday, an analysis by Covered California found that insurance companies could raise premiums by more than 40% next year, which would put already expensive healthcare entirely out of reach for millions of people.
“Corporate-run health insurance isn’t about saving lives,” tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. “It’s about making as much money as possible. With Medicare for All we can finally put an end to this international disgrace.”
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
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Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
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