The Trials and Tribulations of “Trumpcare”
The failure to introduce a much-anticipated replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has thus far dogged the young presidency of Donald Trump.
For seven years, the Republican Party has fought sternly to either prevent or repeal the controversial ACA (known colloquially as “Obamacare”), the hallmark of Barack Obama’s presidency. When Donald Trump, an outspoken critic of the healthcare law, was elected with conservative majorities in both the House and the Senate, Democrats were all too aware that they would be powerless in preventing their universal healthcare from being cut.
That is, they would be powerless so long as the Republicans could reach a consensus amongst themselves. But so far the Republicans have not found common ground on their long awaited healthcare proposal, largely because the Freedom Caucus refused to endorse what Speaker Paul Ryan had put together.
However, there is news coming from Capitol Hill that suggests “Trumpcare 2.0” is just about ready for a vote.
Various news sources are reporting that only 20 -22 Republican Congressmen are still planning on voting “no” for the American Health Care Act (AHCA). With the current majority that the Republican Party enjoys in the House of Representatives, conservative lawmakers can pass a bill to the Senate with a majority vote even if 22 members of their own party vote “no” on the legislation. So, if the reports are accurate, it would seem that the President and senior legislative figures are looking at a narrow victory in their second stab at healthcare reform. It is still unclear whether Daniel Webster (Rep., Florida) and Daniel R. Turner (Rep., Ohio) will vote for the bill or not, but so long as fewer than 23 Republicans vote no, the bill will move on to the conservative Senate.
Why is AHCA Controversial?
Just as it was for President Obama in 2009, passing legislation on healthcare has proven to be an immense challenge for Donald Trump and House Republicans.
The problem facing conservatives is that the Affordable Care Act, for all of its problems, has done some things quite well. For example, Obamacare, for the first time in U.S. history, guarantees that people with preexisting health conditions cannot legally be rejected by health insurers or charged extra. It has given twenty million previously-uninsured Americans coverage and it has upped the public’s access to primary care, surgery, medicine and other services. While the bill, overall, is controversial and there are elements that do not run efficiently, there are many people that have benefited from the ACA. It has thereby become clear to lawmakers everywhere that a wholesale repeal of the Affordable Care Act is impractical—some of it works, and it needs to stick around.
The question, then, that has put the Trump administration in a quagmire is this: how exactly can one eliminate the individual mandate, lessen the government’s role in healthcare administration and please the business-owning sector of the economy without withholding the new health benefits introduced by the ACA?
The Affordable Care Act clearly has not worked for all Americans. Business owners feel the crunch at having to step up their insurance provisions, the tax distribution has been contentious and individuals are unhappy to have to register for a mandatory sign-up. Each of those issues must be addressed by the Republicans in Congress and the White House. What the Republicans cannot touch, though—at least, to avoid political suicide—is the ACA’s guarantee of coverage despite preexisting conditions and the stark increase in insured Americans. It has proven to be an immensely delicate undertaking, and if the Trump plan is unsuccessful, it could irreparably mar his presidency and chance at reelection.
With the House set to vote on the revised version of the AHCA, the healthcare industry will be watching intently—a change in the healthcare law could cause a major shift in your business structure. Looking to expand your business and grow before the major changes are enacted? If so, contact PRN Funding, and ask us about our healthcare factoring services. We have helped businesses flourish and attain a level of financial autonomy that bank loans never could—give us a call today and stay ahead of the constantly-changing healthcare industry.
