Will Obamacare morph
into Trumpcare?

The buzz following the US elections is all about what to expect from the Trump presidency. At first, there was uncertainty over what, precisely, did he promise to do, but when he released his ‘Contract With the American Voter’ (described in this week’s news) the uncertainty shifted to what Trump will be able to do, considering the fact that almost all of it must be initiated and funded by Congress.

But there is another aspect to this: The fact that some of the promises of the Trump campaign are worrisome. For example, although he said he will get rid of Obamacare (which was good news to most of his supporters), he also said he would replace Obamacare with a better plan that would cover everyone. And his followers cheered.

trumpcare-2

You know where this is going. Politically, a better healthcare plan means more benefits, a smaller co-pay and deductible, and premiums paid by someone else. It is possible that, if Congress ever passes Trumpcare to find out what is in it, it will be all of the above with the entire cost paid by government, meaning by you and me through taxes and inflation. That is precisely where Obamacare now is headed.

The two guest commentaries that follow deal with this issue and, in my view, are based on political reality.

G. Edward Griffin
2016 November 11