While Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price takes private trips on the taxpayers’ dime, he’s occasionally getting what passes for “work” in a Republican administration done. He’s sabotaging the section of government he’s been put in charge of.
The Trump administration plans to shut down the federal health insurance exchange for 12 hours during all but one Sunday in the upcoming open enrollment season.
The shutdown will occur from 12 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on every Sunday except Dec. 10.
Price was put in charge of the HHS because he wanted to dismantle it. Of course Tom Price’s ideas about health care and health insurance are unjustifiable. He knows that. The only way he and his Republican Party can win this argument is by hamstringing the ACA.
Campaign Action
The Trump administration has come under attack from critics who say that it is intentionally undermining the Affordable Care Act, through regulatory actions. It shortened the enrollment period, withdrew money for advertising and cut the budget for navigator groups, which help people shop for plans.
And now HHS is closing the site for a substantial portion of each weekend — for maintenance, officials said. That is the same time that many working patients — the prime target group for ACA insurance — could be shopping for their insurance, critics noted.
What Price and Trump and McConnell and Ryan want to win is money and power. The losers just get sick and die.