The president-elect has repeatedly said the repeal of the Affordable Care Act would be among his first acts.
If the campaign promises are to be believed, the Trump health care strategy’s implementation will be one of the first steps taken once the president-elect is sworn in. Over the last few months, Donald Trump has stated that he would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
As Americans shop for coverage on the 2017 insurance exchanges, many wonder what will happen next.
During a debate in October, Trump said “Obamacare is a disaster. You know it. We all know it.” He added that “We have to repeal it and replace it with something absolutely much less expensive.” Now that he is headed to the White House, the insurance industry as well as millions of Americans will be watching for this Trump health care repeal.
Some have asked whether it is even possible for the law that has now been in effect for more than half a decade. What many have not realized is that he may not necessarily need any assistance from Congress to terminate Obamacare.
Once he is in the Oval Office, the Trump health care reform will require 60 senate votes for a repeal and replacement.
According to Georgetown University Health Policy Institute research professor Jack Hoadley, “To get a true repeal and replace through, he needs 60 votes in the Senate.” That represents the bare minimum number of votes for filibuster Senate action to be blocked.
The insurance industry and health economists seem to agree that the repeal health care reform will most certainly become a topic. The main question is “when?”.
That said, even if Trump is not able to entirely repeal the Affordable Care Act, it will still be possible for him to make a broad spectrum of changes through smaller legislative moves and rule-making. This could make it possible for the ACA to be weakened so he could recreate it in a way that is closer to his preference.
The specifics of the Trump health care changes have not yet be presented. What is certain is that the entire insurance industry will join Americans across the country in watching to see how it unfolds.