If you have, or need, health insurance, maybe think twice before casting your ballot for Trump.
The Hill reports the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund studied both candidates' health care plans, and determined that Republican candidate Donald Trump's plan would not only push the number of insureds down lower than where they were before the Affordable Care Act took effect, it would primarily affect those with low incomes and in poor health.
As many as 25 million people could lose health care coverage if Trump's plan came into effect, while Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's plan, in contrast, could add as many as 9.6 million more people to the rolls of the insured. Earlier this year, it was estimated that 18 million would lose health care coverage under Trump.
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Trump's plan would repeal the ACA. But it would not only hit the poor and ill hard, the report say repealing the law without replacing the revenue from several large taxes would boost the federal deficit by up to $41 billion.
The federal deficit would be in the crosshairs regardless, since Clinton's plan — which would add a "public option" to the ACA — could increase it by as much as $91 billion. The most expensive policy under the Clinton plan would provide new subsidies to help people cover out-of-pocket costs, up to $2,500 per person or $5,000 per family. The total cost is estimated around $110 billion per year, but it would also cut the cost of Medicaid by $25 million.
The study says the Clinton plan, favored by progressives, could save the government about $700 million annually, and that competition from a public option could also drive down the premiums of other plans. It could also save the government money because its plans are cheaper than the other plans on the ACA marketplace.
The Commonwealth Fund funded the study, which was created by the RAND Corp. and had some input from the campaigns. Researchers say they asked candidates for additional information about their proposals, but if the data were not forthcoming, they made "reasonable assumptions" about the outcomes.
Tonight marks the beginning of the presidential debates, and while the debate themes for tonight are a bit vague, it's probable the two will tout their respective health care reform plans at some point. No matter what, both candidates will need to be prepared to answer questions regarding methods and implementation strategies, but this latest study might mean Trump won't be able to sidestep specifics as he has notably done in the past on other policy issues.
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