Gruber on Health-Care Premiums: Trump and the Republicans Blew up the Market

MELVIN Jonathan how would ░░░░░░░░ characterize the state of ░░░░░░░░ ACA as it stands ░░░░░░░░ now GRUBER Look the ░░░░░░░░ is basically in a ░░░░░░░░ version of what was ░░░░░░░░ but still quite strong ░░░░░░░░ would say we re ░░░░░░░░ somewhat fewer people than ░░░░░░░░ would have if President ░░░░░░░░ wasn t president Premiums ░░░░░░░░ significantly higher than they ░░░░░░░░ have been if President ░░░░░░░░ wasn t president But ░░░░░░░░ bottom line is we ░░░░░░░░ got millions more Americans ░░░░░░░░ coverage maybe 17 to ░░░░░░░░ million more Americans with ░░░░░░░░ We ve got a ░░░░░░░░ insurance market where people ░░░░░░░░ be discriminated against because ░░░░░░░░ re sick and we ░░░░░░░░ got a program that ░░░░░░░░ quite frankly looks a ░░░░░░░░ like what Democrats would ░░░░░░░░ passed It s sort ░░░░░░░░ ironic that what Trump ░░░░░░░░ the Republicans have done ░░░░░░░░ taken the bipartisan part ░░░░░░░░ the ACA We have ░░░░░░░░ law that through Medicaid ░░░░░░░░ has covered millions of ░░░░░░░░ income Americans and through ░░░░░░░░ credits and the exchanges ░░░░░░░░ provided lower income Americans ░░░░░░░░ affordable coverage And that ░░░░░░░░ s no reason for ░░░░░░░░ to go away and ░░░░░░░░ s going to stay ░░░░░░░░ place MELVIN Jonathan I ░░░░░░░░ to follow up on ░░░░░░░░ you just said there ░░░░░░░░ why are premiums higher ░░░░░░░░ this administration than they ░░░░░░░░ have been under another ░░░░░░░░ you think GRUBER Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ to recognize that insurers ░░░░░░░░ facing a new market ░░░░░░░░ One they weren t ░░░░░░░░ how to deal with ░░░░░░░░ what insurers don t ░░░░░░░░ uncertainty What Trump has ░░░░░░░░ and the Republicans have ░░░░░░░░ is injected uncertainty into ░░░░░░░░ market in a way ░░░░░░░░ insurers said look I ░░░░░░░░ t want to be ░░░░░░░░ part of this I ░░░░░░░░ got plenty of money ░░░░░░░░ make elsewhere You have ░░░░░░░░ made my life uncertain ░░░░░░░░ difficult I don t ░░░░░░░░ to be part of ░░░░░░░░ market And they ve ░░░░░░░░ Insurers said before President ░░░░░░░░ was elected that the ░░░░░░░░ was stabilized and they ░░░░░░░░ excited to participate in ░░░░░░░░ And basically the Trump ░░░░░░░░ the Republicans had blown ░░░░░░░░ up So you have ░░░░░░░░ system which has had ░░░░░░░░ and rising premiums Now ░░░░░░░░ be clear fortunately because ░░░░░░░░ the structure of the ░░░░░░░░ Care Act most people ░░░░░░░░ the exchanges pay a ░░░░░░░░ that s a fixed ░░░░░░░░ of their income So ░░░░░░░░ rising premiums had not ░░░░░░░░ them They can be ░░░░░░░░ the exchange and millions ░░░░░░░░ Americans have benefited What ░░░░░░░░ ve done is just ░░░░░░░░ costs for the government.”