With the passage of the big Republican tax and spending bill, the federal government is poised to reduce support for Medicaid and the insurance marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that these cuts could cause 10 million Americans to lose health insurance by 2034.
Lawmakers have justified these cuts as a necessary step to address the bigger budget deficit exacerbated by tax cuts and other spending increases in the big bill. However, that doesn’t capture how these cuts will send costs spilling out around society, to be paid by hospitals, clinics, individuals and then in the end, back to the federal government.
Where do people go if they are uninsured?
Health care is different from other goods, like movie tickets, cocktails, or cars. If people can’t pay for health care, they don’t suddenly stop needing it. So, where do people get their health care if they don’t have health insurance?
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