Just before the Superbowl President Trump was interviewed on Fox News with Bill O’Reilly POTUS said that the change to Trumpcare was going to take some time, unlike the message telegraphed at the start of January. Bottom line, Obamacare will stay in place, that there are members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives that know its unrealistic to change things any quicker that that. Here is the quote from the interview on Sunday January 5, 2017:
O’Reilly: “Can Americans in 2017 expect a new health care plan rolled out by the Trump administration this year?”
POTUS: “Yes, in the process and maybe it’ll take till sometime into next year but we’re certainly going to be in the process,” Trump said.
POTUS: “(It’s) very complicated — Obamacare is a disaster. You have to remember, Obamacare doesn’t work so we are putting in a wonderful plan,” he said. “It statutorily takes a while to get. We’re going to be putting it in fairly soon, I think that — yes, I would like to say by the end of the year at least the rudiments but we should have something within the year and the following year.”
First, I didn’t know that statutorily was a real word. Thank you Mr. President for the new vocabulary word.
Obamacare in 2017 – Trumpcare in 2018 – Or Later?
Why don’t well look at the where the nomination for HHS Secretary stands, the full vote for Representative Tom Price for his confirmation at best will happen later this month (2/17). Plus I count at least 10 Assistance Secretaries in the Congressional Research Service Presidential Appointee Booklet.
The Insurers Say 2018
According to Bloomberg’ s Insurance Journal the insurance companies are asking for guidelines for 2018. They need to have plans in place for the public to be able purchase these plans.
Aetna said, in a conference call, it won’t start selling Obamacare plans again in the states where it has pulled out. “Further, there’s not enough time to develop plans and prices for new markets before next year … There is no possible way we’ll be prepared to do that, given the unclear nature of where regulation’s headed,” Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini said.
“The amount of uncertainty right now is quite problematic,” said Karen Ignagni, CEO of EmblemHealth, a nonprofit insurer in New York. “There’s a lot of chatter, but there’s not a lot we know.”
All the Players
I will continue to react to the blow-by-blows but in the next couple of posts I hope to layout an understanding of all the players in this wonderful space: Executive, Legislative, Judaical , Private, Physicians, Associations … just to name a few … stay tune.