One of the most bizarre reelection ploys in political history has to be Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s fraudulent attempt to portray himself as a hero battling to lower the cost of Obamacare premiums in Wisconsin—expected to soar as a result of the damage done by Walker and his fellow Republicans’ relentless campaign to destroy President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Gov. Walker got legislative Republicans to allocate $200 million in state subsidies to help lower the cost of premiums for policies sold through the federal marketplace. If that sounds odd coming from Walker, it is. It’s like one of those anonymous pleas serial killers send to police: “Stop us before we try to kill again!” Walker’s actual explanation sounded as if it came from some alternative reality: “Our Health Care Stability Plan is our solution to Washington’s failure,” Walker said. “We want to provide health care stability and lower premiums for Wisconsin.” Well, for some Wisconsinites. State subsidies are particularly aimed at helping middle-class purchasers of ACA policies who make too much money to qualify for federal subsidies.
Republicans vs. Health Insurance
But the words “health care stability” and “lower premiums” become cruel jokes when Walker links them to “Washington’s failure.” The Washington failure Walker’s talking about was the failure of his pals Paul Ryan, Donald Trump and other Republicans to completely destroy Obamacare. If they’d succeeded, Wisconsin wouldn’t have to spend $200 million to lower Obamacare premiums because tens of millions of Americans would simply have lost their health insurance coverage completely. No insurance, no premiums, no problem.
Walker has eagerly championed his party’s campaign to return to the bad old days when millions fewer Americans were insured, those with pre-existing conditions paid exorbitant premiums (if they could get insurance at all), insurance companies cut expenses by cancelling policies when people got sick and expensive, and uninsured illnesses routinely wiped out people’s life savings.
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With Republicans in total control of the White House and both houses of Congress, millions of Americans narrowly escaped two close calls last year as Trump, Ryan and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came within a hair of eliminating the ACA. So, what’s behind Walker’s sudden concern for rising premiums for Obamacare, a program he despises? It didn’t become obvious until about two weeks after Walker approved those state subsidies.
That was when Covered California—that state’s ACA marketplace—released a nationwide analysis by health care experts detailing for the first time on a state-by-state basis the impact of destructive Trump administration actions to destroy affordable health care. Wisconsin was identified as one of the states facing “catastrophic” rate increases of more than 90% for ACA insurance plans over the next three years. Finally, a ranking of states where Walker’s policies have put Wisconsin right at the top.
How did this happen? Didn’t Arizona Sen. John McCain and two other courageous Republicans prevent their party from destroying Obamacare with a dramatic thumbs-down? That spectacular televised moment missed all the incredible damage Republicans have continued to inflict upon affordable health care behind the scenes.
Wealthiest Americans Win Again
The worst damage according to the California report was quietly inserted into the $1.5 trillion Republican tax cut passed to overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest people in America. The provision eliminating financial penalties for anyone who fails to buy health insurance was identified as the biggest factor likely to drive up ACA premiums. Healthy people wouldn’t have to buy insurance until they got sick or needed expensive operations. If only unhealthy people who needed expensive health care bought insurance, the only way insurance companies could assure profitability was through enormous premium increases. Other factors increasing premiums included Trump’s deliberate sabotage of the ACA to reduce participation by shortening sign-up periods and eliminating advertising and promotion of benefits.
Walker pulled one more little trick demonstrating just how totally insincere his concern really was for those insured under the ACA. At the same time Walker was signing that bill aimed at subsidizing Obamacare premiums, he also authorized Wisconsin Atty. Gen. Brad Schimel to take the lead along with Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton in a brand-new federal lawsuit on behalf of 20 states (including Wisconsin) to once again attempt to totally invalidate the ACA. After all the damage they’ve already done to health care in America, Walker and Republicans clearly have no intention of giving up now.
President Obama’s Affordable Care Act now has a place of honor—with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Social Security Act from the 1930s and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Medicare and Medicaid from the 1960s—as government programs that most improve the lives of all Americans. Republicans have continued to fight every one of those programs from their moments of conception. The only way to protect those life-altering government programs from continuing reductions—and ultimate elimination—is to make sure far fewer Republicans ever achieve positions of power in government.
