President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which ensures that 45 million Americans have access to health insurance. Will he finally deliver on his promises?
The results of the U.S. presidential election mean a murky future for healthcare in America. Trump has already nominated known anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Health and Human Services secretary, and TV show host Dr. Mehmet Oz as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, two positions with authority over the ACA. Meanwhile, with a Republican-controlled House and Senate, the enhanced subsidies that expanded who can afford to enroll in the health plans on ACA’s marketplace will likely expire by the end of 2025. As a result, an estimated 3.8 million people would lose their health insurance, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
