COVID Update May 13: In the midst of the largest death toll from illness in 100 years, Trump is pushing to end health coverage for millions & limit it for tens of millions more.1/
To get us out of the Depression, FDR’s New Deal created a safety net for Americans & got people working again.
In 2020, 1 in 4 Americans will be out of work.
By pulling the rug out, Trump is creating a reverse new deal, taking away our safety net as we loss employment.2/
In 2020, 1 in 4 Americans will be out of work.
By pulling the rug out, Trump is creating a reverse new deal, taking away our safety net as we loss employment.2/
Last week Trump doubled down on a meritless Supreme Court case to nullify the ACA due to be heard this Fall.
If successful, it would end health care coverage for 20 million more ppl & pre-existing condition protection would disappear for all.3/
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If successful, it would end health care coverage for 20 million more ppl & pre-existing condition protection would disappear for all.3/
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It would also raise drug costs on millions of seniors, allow lifetime limits, end Medicaid expansion, raise prices on older people & people with pre-existing conditions, end out of pocket cost limits, end the public health & prevention fund & end required preventive benefits.4/ 
At a time of a global pandemic, when 10s of millions more will be added to the list of people with pre-ex conditions, as many will lose their jobs & require pre-ex protections ... this is an assault on older, poorer & sicker Americans when they are getting ravaged by COVID-19. 5/
During a pandemic, what puts me at risk puts you at risk. 6/
At a time when some Americans are worried about their rights being infringed upon, Trump is asking Americans to give up rights so insurance companies can label people & deny them care. 7/
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Just as we’re trying to contain outbreaks in this pandemic, Trump’s actions take hot spots when they break out & add fuel to the fire. 8/
All while Americans are losing access to health care in droves. 9/
Trump’s decision would be a massive blow to health care providers.
At a time when we are bailing hospitals out with hundreds of billions of dollars, uncompensated care costs would increase by $50 billion. 10/
At a time when we are bailing hospitals out with hundreds of billions of dollars, uncompensated care costs would increase by $50 billion. 10/
It’s not as if this Reverse New Deal doesn’t benefit anyone. 11/
As @nicholas_bagley and I wrote about the original case, the case itself is a baseless cynical ploy that counts on judges acting on their politics. 12/
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Today friend of the court briefs were filed by nearly everybody in health care— patients, clinicians, scientists, public health experts, conservatives, liberals— opposing this effort. 13/
WHAT’S NEXT: Throughout the summer more briefs will be filed. Prior to the Coronavirus outbreak, the case was scheduled to be heard by the USSC in October after the Oct 5 term begins.
Now it may be pushed off. We should know when in August. 14/
Now it may be pushed off. We should know when in August. 14/
Trump team of course is hoping for a delay. They don’t want this heard before the election. They would like to be able to pick more conservative Justices. It’s cynical. 15/
I understand that the ACA has been a lightning rod issue for the last decade. As I came in to turn around & implement it, we had to spend nearly half our time defending it from attacks. 16/
Trump has been no friend to Medicaid, Medicare or the ACA and has stance hasn’t been popular. Ripping out people’s health coverage & leaving them bare is hard to justify.
But a global pandemic & manmade depression showed how much the ACA and more more are needed. 17/
But a global pandemic & manmade depression showed how much the ACA and more more are needed. 17/
Still the pandemic was the perfect opportunity for Trump to back away from a fringe & radical effort to tear down the ACA root & branch.
Who would end access to health care coverage during a time when 27 million new people have lost their coverage? 18/
Who would end access to health care coverage during a time when 27 million new people have lost their coverage? 18/
The president is clearly dug in on this issue to the point where he is blind to the damage it does to people. I asked @Scaramucci why on this episode & he gave the clearest answer I’ve heard. 19/
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Even the greatest ACA haters wouldn’t get rid of it now. One would have to hate something far more than the ACA to pursue this now. The decision not only imperils the country, but Trump’s political future.
The hatred & jealousy of Obama is all consuming. 20/
The hatred & jealousy of Obama is all consuming. 20/
Even in a global pandemic, some tribal habits run deeper: deeper than economic recovery, deeper than lives lost. 21/
Those of us working across party lines to try to save lives know the favor would never be returned by this Administration if the roles were reversed.
Yet we do it anyway. Too much is at stake. 22/
Yet we do it anyway. Too much is at stake. 22/
There is plenty of rhetoric that aims to divide the country right now. Most of it doesn’t amount to much. Some of it does but are natural tensions.
Taking health care away in a pandemic rises to a special level. 23/
Taking health care away in a pandemic rises to a special level. 23/
The reverse new deal, taking health care coverage, liability shields for business, no front line protection, eliminated nursing home regulations, refusal to coordinate the defense production act— they are all self-inflicted on top of the global health crisis of the century. /end
