Election 2016 – Page 12

Repealing the Individual Mandate is the Worst Tax Reform Idea Out There

As the push for tax reform on Capitol Hill moves forward, President Trump continues his misguided calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate as part of the final package. Unfortunately, he isn’t alone.

Despite Congress’s repeated failure to replace the ACA, some Republicans in both the House and Senate still seem convinced that the missing tax reform ingredient is a provision that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated would result in 13 million Americans losing coverage, and an overall increase in premiums for health care consumers nationwide.

Experts who have analyzed the ACA have repeatedly found that without the mandate, the health care system the bill implemented simply would not work. With the mandate in place, those who might otherwise be less likely to obtain coverage – such as young adults and those who currently enjoy good health – are incentivized to get covered. This in turn leads to lower premiums across the board by offsetting costs for sicker patients.

Despite the harm this policy proposal would inflict on health care consumers, any serious consideration of the individual mandate repeal is more likely fueled by the fact that the Republican base is dissatisfied with the President and Congress’s inability to advance their overall legislative agenda, perhaps most notably when it comes to health care.

The proposal to repeal the individual mandate is all the more puzzling given recent news that the two week-old Open Enrollment period has seen a surge in consumers signing up for or renewing their health coverage via the federal marketplace, despite the Trump administration’s refusal to adequately promote it. Moreover, voters in Maine voted last Tuesday to expand Medicaid and help an estimated 70,000 low-income residents obtain coverage. These are just the latest indications that voters overwhelmingly support policies that increase access to care, rather than reduce it.

When it comes to the individual mandate and health care reform in general, we continue to urge Congress to listen to nurses when considering the best way to move forward on transforming America’s health care system. Join us and add your voice by clicking here.

Will you #EndNurseAbuse?

This guest post is by Alex Wubbels, RN.

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Back in late July, I was arrested for following my hospital’s policy and protecting an unconscious patient who could not consent to a blood draw. I was wrongfully seized by force in the middle of the emergency department.

Even though my story made national news, most do not. Did you hear about the emergency department nurse who was stabbed by a patient in Massachusetts? Or the Arkansas nurse who was pushed down a flight of stairs? Or the two nurses in Illinois who were taken hostage (one of whom was beaten and raped)? Sadly, the list goes on and on. With one out of every four nurses reporting that they’ve been assaulted at work, you’ve either experienced this personally or know a colleague who has been abused.

The fact that we are more likely to experience violence on the job than prison guards or police officers is unacceptable, and we must work together to #EndNurseAbuse.

As an ANA member, I was fortunate to have the support of my organization, community, and a tribe of fellow nurses during this difficult time.

I truly believe that what happened to me can lead to positive change in our profession. That’s why I decided to speak out: to stop this abuse from happening to others. I’ve teamed up with ANA to ask you to sign our pledge and stop this culture of violence. I am committed to this goal so we are not put in situations where we have to fear for our safety, or have to choose between our jobs and our licenses.

By adding your name, you’re saying you support zero tolerance when it comes to violence against nurses; that you’ll report abuse whenever you safely can; and that you’ll share with others asking them to sign too.

Please join me by adding your name and taking the pledge.

Thank you,
Alex Wubbels, RN

President Trump Deals Yet Another Critical Blow to Healthcare System

Yesterday President Trump dealt yet another critical blow to the healthcare system established under the Affordable Care Act by announcing his administration would end critical Cost-Sharing Reduction (CSR) payment subsidies. These payments – projected to total roughly $9 billion in 2018 and $100 billion over the next 10 years – are made to help offset costs of co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles for low-income Americans who enroll in individual health insurance coverage under the ACA’s exchanges.

The decision to end these payments will result in higher costs for low- and middle-income Americans and will threaten the ability of these individuals to afford coverage. The administration has treated these payments as a political bargaining chip for months; ending them, in combination with yesterday’s Executive Order on association health plans, will have an immediate and negative impact on Americans’ ability to access critical healthcare services. ANA reiterates: the Trump administration is making a deliberate attempt to undermine the system put in place by the ACA for political gain, at the expense of some of the most vulnerable Americans.

Individuals enrolled in health insurance coverage through the ACA’s individual marketplace with household income between 100% ($12,060 for an individual and $24,600 for a family of four) and 250% ($30,150 for an individual and $61,500 for a family of four) of the Federal Poverty Guideline are currently eligible for cost-sharing reductions. CSRs reduce the amount that low-income individuals pay out-of-pocket for co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles. In effect, these cost-sharing reductions currently make it more likely that these individuals get critical preventive and other healthcare services and avoid more serious and/or chronic health issues long-term.

The Commonwealth Fund reported in March 2016 that as many as seven million individuals might have plans that are aided by CSRs, representing a significant portion of the individuals who signed up for coverage through the individual exchanges under the ACA. This Commonwealth Fund report also noted that – according to government data – out-of-pocket healthcare spending declined significantly in 2014 (the year the ACA was implemented). In short, it is abundantly clear that the ACA’s cost-sharing reductions have in fact helped low-income individuals receive critical healthcare services.

We will continue to urge Congress and the administration to work toward market stabilization and to strengthen the existing system – which has resulted in coverage for tens of millions of Americans since 2014 – and to put an end to these attempts to sabotage Americans’ healthcare for political gain. ANA is committed to working with Congress and the administration on legislation and policy which aligns with our four core principles of health system transformation. The President’s actions this week fly in the face of ANA’s principles and will cause significant harm to millions of American families.

(Photo: Matt Rourke/AP)