Theories and Realities of Healthcare Reform: TrumpCare and Obamacare
Whenever I hear someone defending Donald Trump on his healthcare plans, a voice inside my head counters with the thought, 'there goes a fucking moron.'
The Unfulfilled Promises of TrumpCare
Every attempt at a healthcare reform initiative under Trump has been met with either confusion, undermining, or abandon. From the vague plans to 'vaporware'—plans that are promised but never fully articulated—it seems like every time something is proposed, it is left as a tantalizing teaser with no substance. The campaign bid of 2015-2016 offered just five lines on healthcare, and even then, it carried the ominous caveat that 'if I show it to anyone, they will steal it.'
The American Health Care Plan: A Plan or Just a Hype?
In 2017, the Republican-released 'American Health Care Plan' was so flawed that it couldn't even secure the votes of three Republican senators, who joined all the Democrats in voting it down. No wonder then, that when Trump made the admission during a speech on February 27, 2017, 'Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.' Well, not you, Trump.
Yes, the intricacies of healthcare have challenged many, but certainly not an individual with the wealth and resources to hire talented advisors and strategists. And what’s more, the complex nature of healthcare reforms wasn’t something that appeared out of thin air for him. Even the supporters of the American Health Care Plan admitted that they didn't know much about it; even Trump didn’t know much about it, but that’s okay. He already had the electorate convinced that he knew all there was to know about it.
The Phantom Healthcare Plans: Trump’s Unreliable Proposals
From the so-called 'CHUMPCare' era, characterized by teaser plans like the Republican plan from 2018 to just before midterm elections, when nothing was actually revealed, to the '2 weeks' in March 2019, when voters were again reassured of the soon-to-be released plans, only to be left empty-handed, it’s clear that Trump’s healthcare initiatives were nothing but fleeting promises. The promises of releasing healthcare reform plans persisted through July 2020 in the guise of another vague '2 weeks,' bearing no fruit despite the many weeks that passed.
Worse, the only tangible indicator of progress—aside from the now-ended free COVID tests and vaccinations—was a 600-page document of blank pages adorned with reprints of unfinished proposals and toothless executive orders. This offered more in the way of phantoms than solid plans.
The Costly Dream of Mandatory Private Insurance
Ultimately, the closest the United States will come to a single-payer healthcare system under Trump’s presidency is a dream deferred. The temporary halt on the federal individual mandate penalty was sweet relief for some but cannot be lauded by the Republicans for their success in healthcare reform. The republican hope was to enforce mandatory private insurance, particularly employer-based insurance, as it would ensure a steady stream of workers into factories until they reached the age of retirement. It's a dream that persists among some, but it remains elusive in the face of practical realities and societal needs.
Detailed, substantive discussions and plans are crucial, and they rarely come from the mouth of a man notorious for making promises he doesn't keep. The healthcare reform battle continues, but with each iteration of 'TrumpCare,' the focus on providing tangible relief for the American people wanes.