Trump's health subsidy shutdown could lead to free insurance
WASHINGTON (AP) — If President Donald Trump prevails in shutting down a major "Obamacare" health insurance subsidy, it would have the unintended consequence of making free basic coverage available to more people, and making upper-tier plans more affordable.
The unexpected assessment comes from consultants, policy experts, and state officials trying to discern the potential fallout from a Washington health care debate that's becoming harder to follow.
What's driving the predictions? It's because another of the health law's subsidies would go up for people with low-to-moderate incomes, offsetting Trump's move.
"It's a kind of counter-intuitive result," said Kurt Giesa, a health insurance expert with the Oliver Wyman consulting firm.