Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Questions Loom Over What Might Happen to Those Covered by the Affordable Care Act Under Trump

Scott Willis
/
WAER News

Officials at ACR Health in Syracuse are urging clients not to hesitate to enroll in a health care plan despite the uncertainty of the affordable care act under a President Donald Trump. 

"The Affordable Care Act is still law.  Until that changes, we are going forward," said Brian Van Benschoten, Insurance Programs Coordinator

"It's business as usual.  Come and get your coverage, re-enroll, renew your coverage, see what your options, are.  That's what we're going to do for you," said Steve Wood, Director of Insurance Programs.

So far, they haven’t seen a drop in enrollment leading up to or right after election day.  But Wood knows some might be worried.

"Is their insurance going to go away? What are they going to do?  Are we going back to the days where you had cancer in the past, or you had diabetes that they're going to take your insurance away from you?  I don't know.  We'll see what ahppens.we're going to be there to fight for you.”                                 

Even if the ACA is repealed, as Trump has promised, Van Benschoten says it won’t have a major impact on New York State’s health exchange.

Credit Scott Willis / WAER News
/
WAER News
ACR Health Insurance Programs Coordinator Brian VanBenschoten.

"It is self-sustaining, so the marketplace as we know it should still be in existence," Van Benschoten said. "We're not expecting to see any changes with regard to that.  The big question out there is how do we make up that  federal deficit from what is being put in by the federal government, how does the state make that up?  We don't have that answer.”             

He says the state would likely have to pick up the difference, and they don’t doubt Governor Cuomo would be willing to do so.  Steve Wood says the state’s investment so far has clearly paid off.

"We have 2.5 million people covered that weren't covered before," Wood said.  "That's 2.5 million New Yorkers who have gotten health care.  What would have happened to them previous to this?  They would have been uninsured, they would have gotten sick,  hospital, emergency room, urgent care.  We can avoid all of that stuff.”              

That’s because of the state’s insurance exchange.  They say New York’s uninsured rate has dropped from 10 percent in 2014 to half that…five percent this year.  More information is at acrhealth.org.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.