The New York Times
AS OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR OBAMACARE BEGINS, CONFUSION REIGNS
David Branch knew that his job, helping people sign up for Obamacare, would be harder this year. But Mr. Branch didn’t fully realize the scope of his challenge until a group that he approached with his fliers insisted that the Affordable Care Act had been repealed.
“They said: ‘Why are you guys here? Obamacare is done,’ ” Mr. Branch recalled Friday as he finished a training session here.
In fact, the Affordable Care Act has survived blow after blow since President Trump took office in January, including repeated attempts by Congress to repeal it. But as the fifth open enrollment period starts Wednesday, the law is reeling from continued attacks by Mr. Trump that have sown confusion and anxiety among the roughly 10 million Americans with coverage through its insurance marketplaces and millions more who remain uninsured.
Most recently, Mr. Trump announced plans to cut off subsidies that reimburse insurance companies for assistance they are required to provide to low-income customers who struggle with co-payments and deductibles. The cuts resulted in a crazy quilt of premiums for 2018 that differs radically from the pattern of the last four years, which will upend expectations of consumers in many states. Read more…
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