On Thursday, Pres. Donald Trump took the first steps toward dismantling the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) when he signed an executive order that will give the Trump administration the task of policy development that will supposedly increase healthcare completion and lower prices.
From CNN:
Specifically, the President is directing the Labor Department to study how to make it easier for small businesses, and possibly individuals, to join together and buy health insurance through nationwide association health plans, a senior administration official said Thursday. The department could give employers in the same industries more flexibility to offer group coverage across state lines, providing them with a broader range of policies at lower rates.
Separately, the order would allow consumers to buy short-term policies, which don’t have to comply with Obamacare’s protections for those with pre-existing conditions. Also, it looks to broaden the ability of employers to give workers money to buy their own coverage through health reimbursement arrangements.
With a group of lawmakers and the president, Vice Pres. Mike Pence introduced the executive order. In the video, Pres. Trump looks dazed and confused while fidgeting and smiling insanely.
Watch:
In July, Trump appeared to get lost on a stage in Poland and looked like “an old man trying to find his way back to the nursing home,” and we have extensively documented his apparent mental instability.
Clearly Trump had little (if any) involvement in orchestrating this recent development, a plan that will likely see healthy and/or younger Americans migrating to cheap short-term policies. This will have the disastrous effect of driving up premiums for sicker people.
Trump looked like a grade schooler being asked to stand still while the adults were talking. Maybe next time they should give him some toy dinosaurs or building blocks to keep him occupied?
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
