Those with Medicare plans are not rejoicing at the idea of repealing or replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). After all, ACA and Medicare are closely tied together, and when one is removed, it affects the other.
The open enrollment for Medicare starts December 7, 2016, says PBS. Most people have already entered the marketplace and started shopping for the best deals on their next year’s insurance plan.
Congressional Republicans and Their Plan to Rid the World of the ACA
The Republicans in Congress would like nothing more than to get rid of the ACA. They have made it clear, alongside President-elect Trump, that they will repeal Obamacare and make considerable changes to Medicare and Medicaid plans for the future.
Repealing something like the ACA and finding a suitable replacement will take years. There is one gap that people are not considering when they promote the repeal of the ACA: pre-existing conditions. Right now, insurers cannot deny a person coverage based on their pre-existing conditions. However, without the ACA, they could go back to doing so, because people would no longer be forced to have health insurance in the first place.
Key senior groups are also worried about the ACA and how it will affect Medicare and Medicaid plans if it were repealed. Medicare patients could lose their access to preventative services, and they may have heightened out of pocket expenses for things like medications. Basically, senior Americans would receive less care at a higher premium – and that is not acceptable.
Trump Vows to Bring Down Drug Prices
In addition to Trump’s promises to repeal or replace Obamacare, Trump is now promising that he will also bring down drug prices. After all, the biggest reason for medical care deficits is the cost of treatment. Whether it is the outrageous fees from hospitals or pharmaceutical manufacturers, the costs are a concern.
Trump has vowed to bring down those prices and make affordable healthcare possible without requiring the ACA.
According to The Fiscal Times, Trump has made it clear that he does not like how drug prices have fluctuated and continued to rise. There are some companies taking advantage of Americans that need their drugs to survive, with some hiking up the price for the demand and profiting on the illnesses of others.
Therefore, Trump used it as a cornerstone of his campaign to promise the American people that he would lower drug costs for treatments.
One way he could do this is by empowering Medicare to negotiate better pricing with drug companies. Already other healthcare providers have done the same, lowering the costs of prescription drugs significantly.
However, a reform of Medicare would be required to request a negotiation of the pricing. Already Medicare and Medicaid Services have released a report that details the cost of prescription drug coverage over the past five years, showing the increasing drug prices.
For now, the healthcare system, including rising drug costs, will remain the same.
