A Health Plan for Donald Trump
October 18, 2016
Donald Trump has said three things about health care. He wants to: (1) replace Obamacare with a much better reform; (2) cover everyone, leaving no one without access to care; and (3) do all this with money already in the system—using resources more efficiently, rather than relying on new taxes and more spending.
Unfortunately, the health reform described at the Trump campaign website falls far short of achieving these goals. It basically repeals Obamacare and allows individuals to deduct health-insurance premiums from their taxable income. But since roughly half the country doesn’t pay income taxes, a tax deduction is little help for most of those who are currently uninsured.
For that reason, analysts on both the right and the left have concluded that Trump’s website plan would increase the number of uninsured by as many as 25 million people. That would fall on top of the 33 million who are currently uninsured under Obamacare.
