That's our Cheeto! Because that $1200 check that most people will get is plenty generous enough to cover a $35,000 hospital bill from coronavirus AND pay your bills while you're out of work, Trump and his brilliant inner circle have decided not to allow a special enrollment period for Obamacare. Via Bloomberg News:
The decision comes after the president said last week he was considering a special enrollment period to allow individuals to purchase insurance during the crisis -- a move that had been endorsed by America’s Health Insurance Plans, the trade organization representing health insurers.
Ultimately, however, the administration opted against a national mandate that would have mirrored steps that states like New York, California, Connecticut, and Maryland are taking. In New York, people without insurance “can apply within 60 days of losing coverage,” according to the state website.
The White House official requested anonymity to describe an internal policy decision.
Trump has long opposed the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and tried to repeal it early in his presidency. But he said last week that the administration would be “doing a lot of different things on health insurance.” He also responded to a question about expanding insurance subsidies or Medicaid checks by saying that many Americans would be receiving “very big checks” as part of the stimulus bill passed by Congress.
“We’re taking care of our people,” Trump said. “This is not their fault what happened, and we’re taking care.”
Yes, his unerring gut instincts invariably lead him to favor actions that screw anyone who's not a major donor. If you're lucky, your state (like California, as seen in the above video) allows an open enrollment period. If you live in a red state, you're probably out of luck.
