The federal
government shut down on October 1, and the
impasse between Congressional Democrats and
Republicans suggest that this may be a long
one. Already, Speaker Mike Johnson has sent
Congress home to do “district work”. This may
have something to do with the fact that newly
elected Democratic Congresswoman Adelita
Grijalva puts another vote in the Democratic
column, but can’t vote until she is sworn in.
Having sent Congress home, Grijalva is in
limbo. Johnson says she will only be sworn in
when Congress is back in session, and they
won’t be back until Democrats vote to reopen
government with a “clean” continuing
resolution, changing nothing from the current
budget.
Here’s
the problem – people will get notices about
the cost of their health care sometime between
October and early December, during the open
enrollment period. They will have to make
choices about their health plan and
affordability – estimates are that costs can
rise by as much between 10 and 15 percent, but
possibly more in some areas. How are people to
make rational decision when they do not know
how much they will have to pay? Premium tax
credits embedded in the Affordable care Act
help millions afford health insurance though
the Marketplace. But these credits are set to
expire by the end of 2025. Democrats
want to extend the tax credits, and
Republicans say they will “discuss” the issue
once government opens. Republicans have a
record of broken promises. Senate Minority
Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) supported a
Republican move in the spring, and it cost him
both progressive support and leverage to
manage the health care imbroglio.
If
Congress fails to act before open enrollment
begins on November 1, many Americans could
suddenly face steeper, perhaps unaffordable
premiums or choose to drop coverage entirely -
worsening health access and market stability.
And if premiums rise, some people won’t be
able to pay them. There are consequences to
denying health care to all. According to a
Harvard University study, more than 45,000
people lost their lives in 2009 because they
did not have health care. While that study is
dated, it provides us with a baseline. Health
care is a matter of life and death, but Mike
Johnson and his Republican cronies don’t seem
to care.
Most
low-income households will be hit hard by
premium increases, and because African
Americans are more likely than others to be at
the bottom of the income distribution, we are
most likely to be hard hit. And given current
economic instability, many families will be
imperiled by the hit. This is a matter of
urgency and one of the reasons Democrats have
united around the necessary extension of
subsidies for health care. Republicans want to
waste time and avoid Democrats at the
negotiating table. They are following the lead
of the dystopian orange cult leader, holding
government operations hostage because they
don’t want to fund policies that can saves
lives.
The
consequences of this showdown are real and
immediate. Hospitals, particularly in rural
and under-served areas, already squeezed
financially, warn of funding shortfalls. Some
Medicaid programs and payments to providers
hang in limbo. Even if core functions like
Medicare and Medicaid continue (they are
“mandatory spending” and technically shielded)
agencies that administer the ACA marketplaces
or support outreach may face disruptions.
Meanwhile, uncertainty will rattle insurers
and consumers, potentially causing premium
surges, fewer plan options, or coverage losses
- especially in areas where costs were already
high.
Republicans
own this shutdown. They control both houses of
Congress and the executive branch. But they
are attempting to shift the narrative by lying
that Democrats want to “give health care to
undocumented immigrants.” Nothing could be
further from the truth. Undocumented
immigrants are not eligible for ACA subsidies
or most federal health coverage, except
emergency care. Meanwhile, emergency rooms are
closing. Where does this leave citizens and
legal immigrants, not to mention those
undocumented who need emergency care?
Is
affordable health care a right and moral
obligation, or is it an afterthought? Should
health care be a political football or a
foundation in a humane society? The
partisanship around these issues ignores those
who need health care but are not in the same
party as the oligarchs. Shouldn’t availability
of affordable health care be nonnegotiable?
Democrats
have drawn a line in the sand, and Republicans
have, too. They are playing “chicken” with
tens of thousands lives. This is more than
your ordinary shutdown; it’s a matter of life
and death. The longest shutdown that ever
happened occurred during this President’s
first term. It lasted thirty-eight days from
December 22, 2018, through January 25, 2019,
and even though federal workers got back pay
at the end of the shutdown, many were forced
to work without pay. Will their pleas
influence Republicans to relent? Or are they
content to keep imperiling lives?
