Donald Trump wrongly tweets once again that he has repealed Obamacare
US President Donald Trump wrongly tweeted, once again, that Obamacare has been repealed.
Though the recently-passed tax reform bill does include a provision to repeal the individual mandate - the requirement that every American have health insurance or pay a tax penalty - that does not repeal the entire Affordable Care Act.
It is a claim the President has made repeatedly throughout his first year in office and a “replace and repeal” of the healthcare plan was a major campaign promise made by many Republicans.
The repeal of one key aspect of Obamacare will take place “over time”; the tax penalty Americans face for not enrolling in an insurance programme will still be in place for another tax year.
Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2017
The Medicaid expansion, the subsidised health assistance programme for those living under the poverty line, all remain in place - as do the state-based marketplaces.
The White House attempted to stymie outreach and promotion efforts and cut the 2018 open enrollment period for Obamacare in half - 1 November to 15 December.
Despite that, more than 200,000 Americans signed up on 1 November - double the number of people that enrolled the same day in 2016.
Visitors to Healthcare.gov also reached a record one million visitors that day.
The reality of drafting a bill that would receive a good “score” from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that rates how many people would lose insurance as a result and the overall impact on the federal budget proved to be problematic for Congressional Republicans.
Between party dissidents first in the House’s Freedom Caucus, then objections from Senators John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins, and leaks of reported tension between House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Mr Trump - the effort to repeal and replace has hit a roadblock after roadblock.
There may be an effort in 2018 to revive the repeal and replacement of Obamacare in light of the administration’s victory with the passage of the tax bill.
However, with midterm elections coming up in November and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s comment to NPR that the Senate will likely “move on to other issues."
