Healthcare extortion or just another game politicians like to play to get their way: who’s gonna hold their breathe longer – PB/TK
Government costs could rise $2.3 billion without Obamacare payments: study – By Yasmeen Abutaleb
The U.S. government’s costs could increase by $2.3 billion in 2018 if Congress and President Donald Trump decide not to fund Obamacare-related payments to health insurers, according to a study released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The payments amount to about $7 billion in fiscal year 2017 and help cover out-of-pocket medical costs for low-income Americans who purchase insurance on the individual insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare.
Trump has threatened to withhold the payments to force Democrats to the negotiating table on a healthcare bill to replace Obamacare.
He has also said he will fund the subsidies if Democrats agree to funding for his proposed border wall with Mexico as part of efforts to pass a government funding bill this week and avert a shutdown. Democrats have rejected the conditional offer.
Continue to reuters.com article: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-payments-idUSKBN17R0M3
