Shell Game

The Trump adminstration cut funding to the Affordable Care Act (Also known as ACA or Obama Care) by removing deceased and duplicate accounts to justify the cuts. But dead people and duplicate accounts don't cost anything to justify the cuts! KFF Health News reported:

Modern Healthcare: IRS Proposed Rule Tightens ACA Subsidies Access

A new draft regulation would tighten access to health insurance exchange subsidies as federal agencies continue implementing President Donald Trump’s tax law. The IRS issued a proposed rule Wednesday that would set stricter definitions of who qualifies for tax credit subsidies, toughen eligibility verification requirements and narrow access to financial assistance for noncitizens. This regulation would complement pending rules from the Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Early, 10/14)

Then we have the drop in Medicaid enrollment, in another KFF article...

Medicaid/CHIP Current Enrollment Trends

The figures below show Medicaid and CHIP enrollment from February 2020 through the most current month of available data. Figures include enrollment for adults and children in Medicaid/CHIP and for Medicaid only and CHIP only. Key enrollment data and trends as of June 2026 include:

There were 73.2 million people enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP nationally (Figure 1). Medicaid enrollment declined by 5.1 million or 6% from June 2025 through June 2026 (Table 1).

Total Medicaid/CHIP enrollment has decreased in 49 states and DC since June 2025. Enrollment changes since June 2025 vary from a less than 1% increase in Iowa to a 19% decrease in Indiana (Figure 2).

Okay, I have a question: where are those kicked off of health insurance going to get their healthcare?

Hun? Where? The Emergency Room. That's where. The most inefficient and expensive treatment there is! By law, hospitals must take patients who show up at their doors.

How does the hospital get paid for these charity cases? Why, they raise their rates for everyone else! However, Medicare and insurance reimbursement rates don't go up enough to cover the increased expenses, so that means it comes out of our pockets in co-pays. It used to be a $45 co-pay, then it went to $50, and now it is $75 for most office visits.

From healthcare partly supported by tax dollars to healthcare paid for by our higher premiums! But hey, Trump's billionaires pay less in taxes!

It’s a shell game: the costs don’t disappear, they just get shifted until someone else is stuck paying them. Us, instead of the billionaires.