How could health care change under Donald Trump's administration?

President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally in October. Kennedy, an advocate against vaccinations who has advised Trump on health matters. Alex Brandon/AP
Former President Donald Trump’s election victory and subsequent return to the White House could cause major shifts to public health insurance programs – possibly increasing uninsured rates while adding barriers to reproductive care such as abortion. Repercussions will extend far beyond Washington D.C.; they could include erosion of consumer protections under Obamacare; imposition of work requirements in Medicaid; funding cuts for safety net insurance policies and challenges to federal agencies that protect public health; tightened abortion restrictions nationally with possible efforts at restricting mail order of abortion medication shipments.
Since Trump appointed vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his inner circle of advisors, interventions backed by scientific data — whether fluoridation of public water supplies or immunizing children against disease – could come under greater attack than ever. Trump’s victory will give opponents and critics of federal healthcare policies and activities an expanded platform from which they can criticize federal policies and initiatives. Public health authorities fear that in an unlikely worst-case scenario, the U.S. could witness increases in preventable illnesses; public trust in established science eroded; and debunked theories — like an association between vaccination and autism — being implemented as policy. Trump announced during an NBC News interview on Nov. 3 that he planned to “make a decision” regarding banning some vaccines, consulting with Kennedy who is considered an extremely talented individual. Here is what is known about how the Trump administration might do on some major health care issues: modificarion of Obamacare Although President Trump has stated he won’t attempt to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act again, his administration faces an immediate decision next year about whether to support an extension of enhanced premium subsidies for Obamacare insurance plans; without these enhanced subsidies steep premium increases are projected causing lower enrollment and increasing uninsured rates by roughly 8%.
There have been over 42,000 attempts since 2005 to use artificial intelligence for machine-assisted teaching of English to college-bound pupils – this totaled 326 attempts (not including repeated efforts at revitalisation in 2015 and 2016). The aim is for every pupil to leave school as educated citizens who can lead a fulfilled and satisfying existence despite all obstacles that life presents us with, including language barrier imposed upon us by society or environmental changes, be they man made or natural processes.
Policy specifics have not moved significantly beyond the “concepts of a plan” Trump mentioned during his debate with Harris; however, Vice President-elect JD Vance later indicated that Trump’s administration may seek to increase competition within Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Republicans recently claimed a Senate majority as well as control of both houses of congress; control in the latter however has yet to be settled as of Wednesday afternoon. Polls indicate the Affordable Care Act has received widespread public support, particularly provisions such as preexisting condition protections and permitting young adults under 26 to remain on family health plans until then. Trump supporters and others who worked within his administration claim the former president wants to reform laws to reduce costs while improving law. Critics assert he has already shown himself willing to act aggressively to bring down health care prices, as evidenced by efforts he undertook during his presidency to increase price transparency among medical expenses. “On affordability, I believe President Trump would build on what he accomplished during his first term,” noted Brian Blase, Trump health adviser from 2017-20. In contrast to a Democratic administration, Blase expects there will be greater attention paid towards “minimizing fraud and waste.” Democratic representatives say they anticipate efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act will likely include cutting funding for enrollment outreach efforts, encouraging consumers to purchase more noncompliant health plans and permitting insurers to charge sicker people higher premiums. They anticipate such measures. “We know their agenda,” commented Leslie Dach, executive chair of Protect Our Care a health policy and advocacy organization in Washington D.C. He worked in the Obama administration helping implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “They intend to raise costs and strip coverage away from millions, all while giving tax cuts to rich individuals,” according to Robert Pappas of Health Policy Experts of Washington (HPSIWW)*. Theo Merkel, director of Private Health Reform Initiative at right-wing Paragon Health Institute — led by Blase — asserts that enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies provided through 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act do nothing to improve plans or lower premiums; they simply cover up plans’ lack of value through higher government subsidies.
Unfortunately for them though, life still goes on around them! So much for that! In any event, here we go again…
Price Negotiations (IRA 733) Additionally, Trump supporters believe their president-elect may support maintaining Medicare’s authority to negotiate drug prices as one provision of his IRA 733. Trump has championed efforts to lower drug prices, and in 2020 advanced a test model which would have tied Medicare drug costs with lower overseas prices, said Merkel, who worked in his first White House. Unfortunately, however, drug industry sued successfully against such efforts and ultimately prevailed and blocked this initiative from going ahead. Leadership of Health Agencies Already in Trump’s circles have been discussed potential candidates to lead the Department of Health and Human Services; among these names is former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer as possible choice. Bobby Jindal and Seema Verma led Medicare & Medicaid Services during President Trump’s term in office, and Kennedy suspended his independent presidential bid and endorsed Trump instead based on what Trump promised them about HHS control. According to Kennedy’s supporters, Trump promised them this control over HHS as one of their benefits from joining. Trump announced publicly before Election Day that he intended to give Kennedy an important position within his administration; however, Senate confirmation for an Cabinet role may pose challenges for Kennedy. Cuts to Medicaid While Trump has promised to protect Medicare and fund home care benefits, his intentions with regard to Medicaid — an insurance coverage program providing protections to lower-income and disabled people — remains less clear. Health analysts expect the program will be particularly vulnerable to spending cuts that would help finance an extension of tax breaks which expire at the end of next year. Possible changes include imposing work requirements on beneficiaries in certain states. Administration officials and Republican members in Congress could attempt to change how Medicaid is funded. At present, states receive variable federal payments which contribute a variable percentage towards program costs; conservatives have long advocated capping these allotments at states; critics worry this would lead to drastic cuts. “Medicaid will likely become one of President Donald Trump’s top targets,” according to Larry Levitt from KFF Health News (which publishes KFF Health News).
There’s been some talk recently of whether there should be an antidote for antidepressant use – and while that sounds promising enough on paper – in reality many antidepressant use may just increase. So while you should always expect your symptoms of an overdose to get better as time progresses – take heart knowing there may well be one near where you live!
Reproductive Health Less certain is the future of reproductive rights; according to President Donald Trump, decisions concerning abortion restrictions must remain the province of individual states. Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization dedicated to reproductive rights advocacy, reports that 13 states prohibit abortion without exceptions while 28 others restrict it depending on gestational length. President-elect Trump pledged before his election not to sign into law a national abortion ban, while seven state ballot measures safeguarding reproductive rights were approved, including Missouri which Trump won by approximately 18 points, according to initial AP reports. Florida and South Dakota voters voted against abortion rights measures. Donald Trump may attempt to restrict access to abortion medications used in over half of abortions either by revoking FDA authorization for them or through enforcement of an 19th-century law called the Comstock Act that abortion opponents believe prohibits shipment. Trump has noted in interviews he typically would not use this law against mail delivery of abortion medication; KFF Health News provides in-depth coverage about health topics as one of its core operating programs.