As liberals tell us, over 20 million people were insured thanks to ObamaCare. When President Trump repealed ObamaCare’s individual mandate (the penalty on people who don’t purchase insurance), it wasn’t uncommon to see fear-mongering that 20 million people were about to be kicked off their insurance plans.
In reality, 14.5 million of the 20 million people who gained insurance through ObamaCare were added to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In other words, by just expanding coverage from existing government healthcare programs. Trump did nothing to change this, but it is worth noting that according to a new study, it’s still hardly an ideal way of ensuring Americans.
As reported by Investors Business Daily:
A new study finds that at least 21,900 people on Medicaid have died waiting for treatment in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under ObamaCare. The reason, the Foundation for Government Accountability report says, is that ObamaCare opened Medicaid up to millions of able-bodied non-poor adults. That created a surge in demand for scarce Medicaid resources, forcing the poor to wait longer for services.
And those insured by ObamaCare exchanges aren’t getting a great deal either:
73% of plans offered in the exchanges impose narrow network restrictions on members. If you go out of network, you often get zero coverage. Despite these restrictions, ObamaCare plans also charge budget-busting premiums.
The average deductible for a “Silver Plan” on the ObamaCare exchanges is now around $4,000.
As an alternative, the Trump administration issued proposed rules that would let insurers offer short-term plans that last 364 days. These plans wouldn’t comply with ObamaCare, which currently mandates such plans can only last three months.
While hardly ideal, such plans are still a better alternative to ObamaCare for most people. The average premium for a 30-year old on a short-term plan is just $110 a month — less than a third of a Silver Plan on ObamaCare.
Should Trump undo the rest of ObamaCare? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.