Medicare 101
Trumpcare Explained
by Christian Worstell | Published September 22, 2023 | Reviewed by John Krahnert
Health care is complicated, as even President Trump admitted. So it goes without saying that his proposed health care plan, “Trumpcare,” could use a little explaining.
What Is Trumpcare?
Trumpcare is the moniker given to the American Health Care Act (ACHA), the bill that was designed to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) put in place by former President Obama. The ACHA was drafted by President Trump’s Republican party and championed by House Speaker Paul Ryan.
When Does Trumpcare Take Effect?
The ACHA first had to pass a vote in the House of Representatives, which it did so on May 4 by a margin of 217-213.1 The bill will still need to pass a vote in the Senate before it can be signed into law by President Trump.
Despite passing the House, the bill has stalled at the Senate level, as many GOP senators have balked at approving the ACHA as it was originally written. A committee of senators has been formed to draft a new version of the bill. There is no deadline for this new version, and no date has been set for a vote.
The Effects of Trumpcare
It’s hard to say exactly what the new version of the bill may look like, but here are some things we know about the version of the bill that passed through the House of Representatives and was proposed to the Senate:
- The Obamacare "individual mandate" that requires everyone to have health insurance would be repealed. Some experts contend it could be one factor that contributes to 24 million more uninsured Americans.
- Subsidies granted to lower-income Americans for the purchase of health insurance would be replaced by tax credits.
- States could obtain a right to waive currently federally-mandated essential health benefits.
- States could obtain a right to charge more for preexisting conditions, but some of those costs can be offset by subsidies offered to people with such conditions.
- Medicaid expansions introduced during the Obama administration would be phased out.
It’s important to keep in mind that if Trumpcare does goes into law, it may look quite different than the version outlined above.
Learn more about the AHCA by reading these featured articles:
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Sources:
Washington Post: www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/if-house-passes-gop-health-care-bill-a-steeper-climb-awaits-in-the-senate
USA Today: www.usatoday.com
Trumpcare.com: https://trumpcare.com/whats-happening-medicaid-trumpcare
1 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/04/us/politics/house-vote-republican-health-care-bill.html
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