Trump Throws a Life Belt to People Who Buy Their Own Health Insurance
August 12, 2018
News Article
A new Treasury ruling will allow people to buy health insurance that has lower premiums, lower deductibles and broader networks of providers.
For the first time since the enactment of Obamacare, people will be able to buy insurance that meets individual and family needs rather than the needs of politicians and bureaucrats. They will also be able to pay actuarially fair premiums.
These new plans are predicted to be popular, with the expected number of enrollees ranging from 1.9 million (Medicare’s chief actuary) to 2.1 million (Urban Institute). The Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation put the number at 2.0 million.
So, who could be against this welcome opportunity? Answer: Almost everyone, except the people who plan to buy the insurance, that is.
The opponents include Blue Cross, AHIP (the insurance industry’s trade group) and virtually every other stakeholder. Before finalizing the rule, the government received about 12,000 comments. According to an analysis by the Los Angeles Times, 98% of them were negative. “Not a single group representing patients, physicians, nurses or hospitals voiced support,” the newspaper noted.
Think about that. Roughly 2 million people are about to get the opportunity to buy insurance that meets their needs for a fair price and virtually every special interest in the entire health care system wants to stop them.
