The federal government shut down on October 1, and the impasse between Congressional Democrats and Republicans suggest that this may be a long one. Already, Speaker Mike Johnson has sent Congress home to do “district work”. This may have something to do with the fact that newly elected Democratic Congresswoman Adelita Grijava puts another vote in the Democratic column, but can’t vote until she is sworn in. Having sent Congress home, Grijava is in limbo. Johnson says she will only be sworn in when Congress is back in session, and they won’t be back until Democrats vote to reopen government with a “clean” continuing resolution, changing nothing from the current budget.
Here’s the problem – people will get notices about the cost of their health care sometime between October and early December, during the open enrollment period. They will have to make choices about their health plan and affordability – estimates are that costs can rise by as much between 10 and 15 percent, but possibly more in some areas. How are people to make rational decision when they do not know how much they can pay. Premium tax credits embedded in the Affordable care Act help millions afford health insurance though the Marketplace. But these credits are set to expire by the end of 2025. Democrats want to extend the tax credits, and Republicans say they will “discuss” the issue once government opens. Republicans have a record of broken promises. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Shumer (NY) supported a Republican move in the spring, and it cost him both progressive support and leverage to manage the health care imbroglio.
If Congress fails to act before open enrollment begins on November 1, many Americans could suddenly face steeper, perhaps unaffordable premiums or choose to drop coverage entirely — worsening health access and market stability. And if premiums rise, some people won’t be able to pay them. There are consequences to denying health care to all. According to a Harvard University study, more than 45,000 people lost their lives in 2009 because they did not have health care. While that study is dates, it provides us with a baseline. Health care is a matter of life and death, but Mike Johnson and his Republlican cronies don’t seem to care.
Most low-income households will be hit hard by premium increases, and because African Americans are more likely than others to be at the bottom of the income distribution, we are most likely to be hard hit. And given current economic instability, many families will be imperiled by the hit. This is a matter of urgency and one of the reasons Democrats have united around the necessary extension of subsidies for health care. Republicans want to waste time and avoid Democrats at the negotiating table. They are following the lead of the dystopian orange cult leader, holding government operations hostage because they don’t want to fund policies that can saves lives.
The consequences of this showdown are real and immediate. Hospitals, particularly in rural and underserved areas already squeezed financially, warn of funding shortfalls. Some Medicaid programs and payments to providers hang in limbo. Even if core functions like Medicare and Medicaid continue (they are “mandatory spending” and technically shielded) agencies that administer the ACA marketplaces or support outreach may face disruptions. Meanwhile, uncertainty will rattle insurers and consumers, potentially causing premium surges, fewer plan options, or coverage losses — especially in areas where costs were already high.
Republicans own this shutdown. They control both houses of Congress and the executive branch. But they are attempting to shift the narrative by lying that Democrats want to “give health care to undocumented immigrants.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for ACA subsidies or most federal health coverage, except emergency care. Meanwhile, emergency rooms are closing. Where does this leave citizens and legal immigrants, not to mention those undocumented who need emergency care?
Is affordable health care a right and moral obligation, or is it an afterthought? Should health care be a political football or a foundation in a humane society? The partisanship around these issues ignores those who need health care but are not in the same party as the oligarchs. Shouldn’t affordable health care be nonnegotiable?
Democrats have drawn a line in the sand, and Republicans have, too. They are playing “chicken” with tens of thousands lives. This is more than your ordinary shutdown; it’s a matter of life and death. The longest shutdown ever happened during this President’s first term. It lasted thirty-eight days from December 22, 2018, through January 25, 2019, and ever though federal workers got back pay at the end of the shutdown, many were forced to work without pay. Will their pleas influence Republicans to relent? Or are they content to keep imperiling lives?
