By: Kathleen McLean
The Affordable Care Act also known as “Obamacare“ was intended to increase health insurance quality and affordability, lower the uninsured rate by expanding insurance coverage and reduce the costs of healthcare.The law requires insurers to accept all applicants, cover a specific list of conditions, and charge the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or sex. In Obama’s exit letter to President Trump he urged to keep Obamacare unless President Trump can come up with a better healthcare plan, then at that point maybe the Democratic Party would support it.
The Senate Republicans are taking steps to dismantle Obamacare. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand spoke to the Senate two weeks ago pleading with her colleagues to support the amendment ensuring women’s health services under the Affordable Care Act would remain in place even if the ACA were repealed. These services would include birth-control, mammograms, and HPV testing to name a few.
As Republicans are in the process dismantle Obamacare, without a concrete replacement plan,
President Trump has promised that his health care plan will cover more people and cost less. He has been quoted as saying, “Americans can expect greater health care, in a much-simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.” He also said he would press for Medicare to be allowed to negotiate drug prices. President Trump promises healthcare for everyone. Which could create conflict between himself and his health secretary nominee, Price, who says his replacement plan does not have universal coverage as its primary goal. Paul Ryan, the House speaker among other Republicans, have been talking about “universal access” to health insurance, instead of universal insurance coverage.
President Trump has warned Republicans that if the party slows his agenda, he will use his power of presidency and Twitter to usher his legislation to passage. The Republican party has expressed anxiety about the party’s lack of formal proposal as they held votes repealing the law. Trump has said he’s confident once his plan is made public, he can get enough votes to pass in both chambers.
President Trump will be using Twitter, his bully pulpit to shape policy. He believes in the power of using social media to have direct access to Americans. He has assured Americans, which lowering drug prices is central to reducing health-care costs nationally. Americans are done paying insane prices for prescriptions. If President Trump can get us lower prescription costs, we don’t care if he uses Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. Just get it done.
