American Health Crisis: A Nightmare Orchestrated by Trump

The previous Trump administration rode the waves of an alarming re-election in light of heightened voter worries over increasing prices. However, despite the pressing existence of such issues, it was seen that his administration was steadily stripping away critical policies and programs. Specifically aimed at safeguarding patients from the skyrocketing prices of health care, this move indeed risked pushing a concerning number of Americans into insurmountable debt and consequently exacerbating the strain on family budgets, primarily burdened by never-ending medical bills.

Tragically, we were looking at a future where an anticipated surge in the number of uninsured citizens could be expected within forthcoming years. One of the leading causes of this dire predicament was the legislation around tax cuts that were signed by Trump, consequently leaving a majority exposed to enormous bills in case of illness or unanticipated accidents.

Concurrently, the impending rise in health plan premiums on state insurance marketplaces in the succeeding year would, in all likelihood, cause more Americans to opt out of coverage or sway towards higher-deductible plans. This shuffle would enforce the populace on the receiving end of expensive health care, to foot the bill right out of their pockets before their insurance stirs into effect.

Further potential changes to federal laws inclined towards increasing patient bills. Case in point, freshly established federal guidelines centered on Covid-19 vaccines allowed health insurers to abandon covering the shots for the majority of the patient population. This lack of empathetic foresight meant that anyone seeking to protect themselves would be obligated to pay from their own pockets.

Moreover, the tax cut policy also extended its claws into raising the cost associated with certain doctor’s appointments. This called for Medicaid enrollees to shoulder copays that summed up to about $35.

Having discussed the troubles of bearing medical costs, it is also essential to highlight the subsequent effects for those unfortunate to find themselves drowned in debt. In the already stormy weather, those individuals were found to be left with less protection than ever. The nails in the coffin were hammered down as the Trump administration acquired approval from a federal court to retract regulations that optimally would have eliminated medical debt from consumer credit reports.

This dangerous situation put Americans, incapable of settling their medical bills, at the risk of credit score decrease. This led them to face difficulties in securing a loan, in the worst cases cajoling them to succumb to paying inflated interest rates.

The former President and his Republican partners in Congress callously brushed off these significant cuts in health care. This included hundreds of billions of dollars that counted towards Medicaid withdrawal in the gigantic tax legislation. ‘You won’t even notice it’, was a phrase thrown around recklessly, exhibiting the unsympathetic tone of the administration.

Consumer advocates and patient guardians all over the nation draw attention to the adverse effects of the deterioration of federal healthcare protections since January of the doomed election year. They caution everyone of the increasing threat it posed to the financial safety net of the common American citizen.

As a further blow to American citizens grappling with serious ailments like cancer, the weakening federal protections around medical debt add on to their troubles. The former administration had painted a dreamy picture full of promises to ‘make America affordable again’ and ‘expand access to new Affordable Healthcare’ during their electoral campaign. The stark contrast to the grim reality could not be more apparent.

Anxiety about affording health care is etched deeply within American adults, a recent survey suggested, with 6 out of 10 adults showing significant concern. These worries rise above concerns about affording basic necessities; food or shelter. The menace of medical debt hangs darkly over the American people with nearly 100 million adults in debt due to health care costs.

Adding to this distress, the crucial protocols that have till now helped America from drowning in more debt are being swiftly swept off the table. Beneficial government health insurance programs and safety nets like Medicaid have traditionally served as a robust financial cushion for low-income patients and their families.

As per non-partisan forecasts from the Congressional Budget Office, the tax provisions instituted by the Trump administration would result in approximately ten million more people without health insurance by 2034. This indicated that the tax cuts could potentially add a staggering 3.4 trillion dollars to the US deficits within a ten-year timeframe.

Alarmingly, there could be more uninsured citizens if federal subsidies for low and moderate-income Americans, who purchase health insurance from state marketplaces, are not renewed later this year. This is a grim picture of health insurance and poses a challenging landscape for the uninsured amidst rising healthcare costs.

Here we stand, staring into a future where the situation may soon turn from bad to worse if necessary steps aren’t taken to remedy this deeply concerning scenario. The plight of common Americans and their struggle with medical costs cannot be stated enough in this context.