This week, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a poll showing that 56% of Americans believe that the Administration is “trying to make the ACA fail.” The polling also shows that by nearly seven to one, people think this is a negative thing. Over the last few months, we’ve highlighted negative actions taken by the Administration – from cutting the open enrollment period in half to not defending the ACA before the courts. Fortunately, the public is also watching and understands the value of having comprehensive quality health coverage. This is one of the clearest signs yet that the public wants efforts to undermine the ACA to end.
Fortunately, the Administration decided to reverse its position and continue payments under the ACA’s risk adjustment program. CMS released a final rule that brings clarity to the program’s payment methodology and other issues. The Center for Medicare Advocacy has previously written about the misguided decision to end the risk adjustment payments, and the impact on premiums. The reversal by CMS will help insurers provide critical coverage to consumers who are sicker and have complex conditions. Now it is also time for the Administration to reverse course and fully fund navigators; prevent the expansion of inadequate insurance; restore funding for enrollment outreach; reinstitute payments for cost sharing reductions; and defend the ACA because it is the law of the land.
These actions will be critical to ensuring that all Americans concerned about access to quality care will get the information and enrollment assistance they need.
For more information see:
- Kaiser poll here: https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-july-2018-changes-to-the-affordable-care-act-health-care-in-the-2018-midterms-and-the-supreme-court/?utm_campaign=KFF-2018-July-Poll-Candidate-Position-Pre-Existing-Protections
- Protect Our Care’s Summer of Sabotage report here: https://www.protectourcare.org/summer-of-sabotage/
- Center for American Progress’ ACA sabotage report here: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2018/07/24/453917/estimated-increases-2019-premiums-congressional-district-due-aca-sabotage/