President Trump Has Scaled Back Portions Of Obamacare

Before heading out the inaugural ball on Friday evening (Jan. 20), President Donald Trump signed an executive order that allows government agencies to scale back portions of the Affordable Care Act.

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ABC News reports vice president Mike Pence, senior adviser Jared Kushner, and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus were on hand as Trump signed the order in an attempt to repeal the insurance that covers over 20 million people. As one of the high points of Barack Obama’s presidential tenure, Obamacare was the talk of the political town as Republicans vowed to repeal the act they claim was damaging to insurers, drug makers and patients.

What was actually changed wasn’t announced by Trump or his administration, but language about reducing economic burden was repeated through the order. The order opens states to consider the idea of healthcare across state lines and tempting more insurers to the marketplace. As of now, there is nothing in place that mirrors the Affordable Care Act, a notion that has scared millions who rely on the insurance for pre-existing conditions. Pence has claimed patients shouldn’t be worried losing their healthcare. “Any American who has insurance today, through an ‘Obamacare’ exchange or through the Obama plan itself, should have no anxiety about losing their insurance,” he said on “This Week.”

Democrats can filibuster Trump’s plan, before Congress makes a decision on Obamacare. While Democrats may have a few tricks up their sleeve, the Republican party can dismantle the act piece by piece by slicing subsidies, the expansion of Medicaid which covers 70 million low-income individuals and the notion that orders insurers of serving those with preexisting conditions. This makes Trump’s promise of repealing the act a long one, despite his promise to completely kill the act in one standing.

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