President-elect Donald Trump has been pretty vocal that he intends to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a better healthcare plan that will offer "insurance for everybody."
This move prompted Bernie Sanders to assert that the decision could lead to nearly 36,000 deaths in the United States.
Now according to reports, the "repeal and delay" strategy of the incoming U.S. government could cost millions of people their health insurance.
According to an analysis conducted by the Congressional Budget Office, people who have insured for health under the Affordable Care Act, popularly called Obamacare, would not be able to receive any coverage after one year.
The Predictions
The forecasts by the CBO are based on its evaluations of a bill that the Republicans passed but was vetoed in 2015 by Obama. The bill led to a partial repeal of the ACA and eliminated penalties for individuals who did not have any health insurance.
The CBO is of the belief that the removal of the penalty could lead to an increase in the number of uninsured people over time.
"The number of people who are uninsured would increase by 18 million in the first new plan year following enactment of the bill. Later, after the elimination of the ACA's expansion of Medicaid eligibility and of subsidies for insurance purchased through the ACA marketplaces, that number would increase to 27 million, and then to 32 million in 2026," notes CBO.
The analysis shares that a repeal of the ACA would impact all Americans, even those who do not lose their health insurance. According to the analysis, the first year of the repeal sans a replacement would lead to premiums rising by nearly 20 to 25 percent over the levels that have been estimated for ACA.
The CBO report also divulged that with no government mandate necessitating people to purchase insurance, a few companies may altogether stop offering health insurance plans. As a result, nearly 10 percent of the American population may be residing in areas that do not have any insurer offering insurance coverage. Alarmingly, come 2026, this number is expected to grow to 75 percent.
Despite steps for a partial repeal being taken by the Republicans, the marketplaces which have been established for Obamacare are still functional. However, the enrolment for the same ends on Jan. 31, 2017, barring some exceptions.
Trump has asserted that he is looking to draft policies that are less expensive and it remains to be seen when these would come in to affect, along with the Medicare benefits for Americans.
