Mystery of the 844B pot in planned budget and uninsured are going up "despite the strong economy"
Unlike in previous years, the White House budget proposal released Monday didn’t include a detailed plan to replace major portions of Obamacare. It did include what Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar of the Associated Press calls “an $844 billion mystery pot.”
The dollar figure represents a target for savings over 10 years resulting from what the budget calls Trump’s “health reform vision.” And that vision remains as grand as it’s been since Trump was a candidate: “The President’s great healthcare vision will ensure better care at lower costs,” the budget says. “Americans deserve affordable, personalized care that puts them in control and provides peace of mind. The President’s healthcare reforms will protect the most vulnerable, especially those with pre-existing conditions, and provide the affordability, choice, and control Americans want, and the high-quality care that all Americans deserve.”
A vital campaign issue: Voters say that health care is a top issue in the 2020 elections, and it’s a vulnerability for Trump. “Despite the strong economy, the number of uninsured people has edged up under Trump, and his eventual Democratic opponent is likely to have a plan to put the nation on a path to coverage for all,” Alonso-Zaldivar writes. “Meanwhile, the White House is supporting a lawsuit to overturn the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing coverage for some 20 million people, as well as protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions.”
The $844 billion question: It’s not clear just how or whether the Trump administration proposes to achieve its promises. But the size of the projected $844 billion in savings imply it would pursue large-scale changes. “Health reform always involves trade-offs, and those trade-offs become more apparent with details. So, it's not surprising that President Trump has avoided such details,” Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, tweeted. “But, the level of health care spending cuts he is proposing would have severe consequences.”
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2020/02/11/844-Billion-Mystery-Trump-s-Budget
Man, this "strong economy" sure is chalking up a lot of asterisks.
= new reply since forum marked as read
