How Trump could exacerbate challenges of US health insurance

The tragic death of the UnitedHealthcare CEO has renewed attention to the downfalls of American health insurance. As Trump prepares to take on his second presidential term, concerns are raised over how his policies could affect the affordability and accessibility of health coverage.

On 4th December, Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare was assassinated. His death sparked intense discussions about the failures of the American healthcare system.

Following the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione, the internet began to frame him as an American Robin Hood. His idolization transcends a concerning online trend but represents a major socio-political pitfall in the nation: corporate greed from health insurers.

In recent years, the US healthcare system has faced significant scrutiny. Approximately 27.1 million Americans lack health insurance due to high deductibles and limited access imposed by insurers. This is especially true with the dominance of private insurers, such as UnitedHealth Group and Elevance Health.

As of 2022, about 68.7% of the population was covered by private health insurance. This saturation has resulted in less competitive pricing and fewer choices for consumers in terms of the type of programs available.

Through narrowing provider networks, and charging high deductibles or copays, insurers have made treatments unaffordable whilst restricting care. These financial barriers lead to the deferred care of patients and medical debt. Due to complex administrative processes like prior authorizations, it has not only caused treatment delays but also inefficient spending amounting to $265 billion.

US insurance companies are notorious for relying on profit-driven practices. Hence, patients often find themselves having treatments denied based on cost rather than their medical necessity.

As such, the death of Thompson has raised critical questions about the systemic issue of insurance practices, particularly as Trump prepares to take office again in January. His administration’s policies could further complicate the landscape of healthcare insurance, leading to increased frustrations among individuals like Mangione, who feel marginalized by the current system.

For instance, rather than resolving the systemic issues faced by the nation’s healthcare system, Trump plans to reform the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid/Medicaid. The three federally funded programs respectively aim to subsidize the market, aid senior citizens in health coverage, and assist low-income citizens with healthcare costs.

He promised to replace or rather ‘save’ ACA with a plan to provide better coverage at lower premiums, although specific details remain vague. His past efforts included attempts at repeating the ACA and undermining its provisions. Similarly for Medicaid/Medicare, Trump proposes cuts in funding and support rendering it dysfunctional.

On the other hand, as he tries to weaken the federal programs, his administration could introduce policies allowing insurers to charge higher premiums for sicker individuals, further complicating access to affordable care.

So, what do the next four years under the Trump administration mean for Americans? Unequivocally, it means that insurance prices are to skyrocket, and with that, the rates of uninsured citizens are also projected to rise.

With his attempts to weaken the ACA and Medicaid, low-income populations may face further trouble affording and accessing basic healthcare needs. His previous term saw a rise of 2.3 million Americans without insurance coverage due to his policies, a surge in health insurance premiums, and attacks on federal programs.

WATCH: Bernie explains to @jonstewart how #MedicareForAll would remove health insurance company profiteering and medical bankruptcies and “restore a lot of faith in democracy and government”

While Trump & the GOP just want to “privatize privatize privatize” pic.twitter.com/AM8wpr2xCG

— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) December 10, 2024

Trump has also previously inaccurately asserted that he, again, ‘saved’ protections for people with pre-existing conditions. However, his efforts have contradicted his statement as his actions included moving the aforementioned individuals into a different risk pool.

This means that such individuals who are marked as ‘high-cost patients’ will be isolated from the general insurance market and charged higher premiums. As such, insurers have more room to discriminate against these citizens by limiting their coverage, excluding them from standard plans, or even charging higher costs to cover treatments for their conditions.

The cherry on top would be further degradation of American healthcare as a whole. With the mindset of a businessman, his focus would be to promote competition in the insurance market. Such competition, though seemingly beneficial, does not necessarily translate to lower costs or better quality of care for consumers.

This will only fragment the system more than it currently is. In such a situation, only the healthiest individuals can afford comprehensive coverage, leaving the low-income population or those with chronic conditions vulnerable.