Trump's Health Care Moves: A Step Backwards for Affordability

President Trump's health care policies may push millions of Americans into medical debt due to the loss of health insurance, increased health plan premiums, and changes to federal rules. The new tax cut legislation will raise the cost of certain doctor visits and copays for Medicaid enrollees, while the Trump administration's decision to roll back regulations on medical debt will make it harder for Americans to recover from medical debt.

President Trump's health care policies may push millions of Americans into medical debt due to the loss of health insurance, increased health plan premiums, and changes to federal rules. The new tax cut legislation will raise the cost of certain doctor visits and copays for Medicaid enrollees, while the Trump administration's decision to roll back regulations on medical debt will make it harder for Americans to recover from medical debt.

Millions of people are expected to lose health insurance in the coming years as a result of the tax cut legislation Trump signed this month, leaving them with fewer protections from large bills if they get sick or suffer an accident [1]. At the same time, significant increases in health plan premiums on state insurance marketplaces next year will likely push more Americans to either drop coverage or switch to higher-deductible plans that will require them to pay more out-of-pocket before their insurance kicks in [1].

Smaller changes to federal rules are poised to bump up patients’ bills. New federal guidelines for covid-19 vaccines, for example, will allow health insurers to stop covering the shots for millions, so if patients want the protection, some may have to pay out-of-pocket [1]. The new tax cut legislation will also raise the cost of certain doctor visits, requiring copays of up to $35 for some Medicaid enrollees [1].

For those who do end up in debt, there will be fewer protections. This month, the Trump administration secured permission from a federal court to roll back regulations that would have removed medical debt from consumer credit reports [1]. That puts Americans who cannot pay their medical bills at risk of lower credit scores, hindering their ability to get a loan or forcing them to pay higher interest rates [1].

The Trump administration's rollback of regulations has been criticized by consumer and patient advocates. Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, stated, "For tens of millions of Americans, balancing the budget is like walking a tightrope. The Trump administration is just throwing them off" [1]. Arika Sánchez, who oversees health care policy at the nonprofit New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, predicted that many more people the center works with will end up with medical debt [1]. Elizabeth Darnall, senior director of federal advocacy at the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, noted that weakened federal protections from medical debt pose yet one more risk for Americans with serious illnesses such as cancer [1].

The Trump administration's tax law, which will slash more than $1 trillion in federal health spending over the next decade, is expected to leave 10 million more people without health coverage by 2034 [1]. The tax cuts, which primarily benefit wealthy Americans, will add $3.4 trillion to U.S. deficits over a decade [1]. The number of uninsured could spike further if Trump and his congressional allies don't renew additional federal subsidies for low- and moderate-income Americans who buy health coverage on state insurance marketplaces [1].

Republicans are serious about cutting people’s health care. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans would pursue “massive” health care reform if Donald Trump is elected president in 2024 [2]. The GOP's health care agenda is clear: cuts. Cutting regulations. Cutting spending. If they win control of the White House and Congress this election, Republicans will attempt to cut people’s health care [2].

The implications of these policies are significant. The erosion of federal health care protections since Trump took office in January threatens to significantly undermine Americans’ financial security [1]. The number of Americans burdened by medical debt is already high, with estimates suggesting as many as 100 million adults in the U.S. are burdened by some kind of health care debt [1]. Medicaid and other government health insurance programs have proved to be a powerful economic backstop for low-income patients and their families [1].

In conclusion, President Trump's health care policies may push millions of Americans into medical debt, exacerbating financial strain and hindering economic recovery. The rollback of regulations and cuts to health care spending could lead to significant increases in medical debt, further straining family budgets and undermining financial security.

References:
[1] https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/medical-debt-trump-poilicies-little-relief/
[2] https://www.vox.com/health-care/381484/2024-election-donald-trump-health-care-mike-johnson-obamacare