Trump cuts to ObamaCare outreach to hit red states most [View all]

[DonViejo]

BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL - 09/15/17 06:00 AM EDT

The Trump administration’s decision to slash outreach funding for ObamaCare will, perhaps unintentionally, hit red states the hardest.

The move last month to cut 90 percent of funds to spur signups for healthcare.gov is likely to lead to fewer young and healthy people in the insurance pool — and thus higher costs in states with majority Trump voters, according to experts.

But Trump has been threatening to let ObamaCare implode for months, and has not shouldered much blame for the consequences of that uncertainty, including high premiums and lack of insurers in some markets.

“Trump is not going to get blamed for this,” Republican strategist Ford O’Connell said. “The problems with ObamaCare need to be fixed, and it needs to be done by Congress.”

Late last month, in the latest sign of the Trump’s distaste of the law, Department of Health and Human Services officials said funding for advertising and other outreach for ObamaCare enrollment would be cut from $100 million last year to $10 million this year.

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http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/health-reform-implementation/350692-trump-cuts-to-obamacare-outreach-to-hit-red