Here’s the latest news from Trumpland:
Last year, the officials said, the Obama administration spent about $100 million on educating Americans about their health insurance choices and urging them to enroll. This year, HHS will spend just $10 million. Additionally, HHS will nearly cut in half the funding for hundreds of navigator groups across the country who provide in-person assistance to people signing up for health insurance, making the grants conditional on how many people each group signed up last year.
Why? Because fuck you, that’s why. After all, having spent the entire year confusing the hell out of everyone about what’s going on, there’s really no need for any kind of advertising or outreach, is there? “People are generally aware of Obamacare and the exchanges,” said an HHS flack who obviously couldn’t care less if anyone on the planet is aware of Obamacare. “They are aware of the products out there and aware they can sign up.”
Of course, what most people are “aware” of is that the deadline for signups comes in January. It’s always been in January. But Trump has changed that to December because—well, same reason as before. And now he’s cut off the program that might warn people they’d better sign up a month earlier than they’re used to.
But maybe the Trump administration has some better use for this money lined up. Right? Oddly, HHS didn’t mention that. I’m sure it was just an oversight.
I wonder: do these guys think anyone actually believes them? Or do they just not care?
