Many of us in the industry are stunned at the results of the presidential election. So, what does this mean for us, and how will this affect how we do business in the future? In this post, we’ll share a few thoughts about what a Trump presidency will mean for the health insurance industry.
First, it’s important to note that President-Elect Trump will have an opportunity that President Obama hasn’t had for the last six years; his party will control both the House of Representatives and the Senate. That’s big. What does that mean for us? The Republicans will have the ability to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with the support of President-Elect Trump.
And that brings up a big question: What they will replace the ACA with? We know that Trump supports selling insurance across state lines, expanding Health Savings Accounts, and possibly offering an individual tax credit for people with health insurance. The rest of Trump’s plans with regard to health insurance remain unclear. We’ll keep you updated as we get more information on their replacement proposals.
For now, what you (and your clients) need to know is that the ACA won’t just go away when Congress passes and Trump signs the bill. This law has taken seven years to implement, and it’ll take a while to reverse it as well — even if it is repealed as quickly as the President-Elect promises.
Until then, the Affordable Care Act is still in effect, and the safe bet is to treat it as such. Advising your clients differently before the law changes could put their coverage at risk, especially if the government decides to keep some of the provisions in place.
Again, you can expect more guidance as we learn more. For right now, we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.