Krugman: AHCA More like Obamacare 0.5

[Jimbo101]

Alternet

In a characteristically sizzling piece Friday, the New York Times columnist unloaded on the "surreal" awfulness of the American Healthcare Act, a bill "so bad it's awesome."

Krugman argues that Trumpcare, as the president is desperate for the public not to call it, weakens the "three pillars" of the ACA beyond repair: Insurers still won't able to exclude the sick, but they can jack up their premiums on older Americans; tax credits won't be able to offset the ACA's subsidies; and the paltry tax levied on those who don't sign up would only worsen the risk pool, causing premiums to further balloon.

"Trumpcare, if implemented, would collapse in a Mar-a-lago minute," he cautions.

Here's the money paragraph, no pun intended:

Affluent young people might end up saving some money as a result of these changes. But the effect on those who are older and less affluent would be devastating. AARP has done the math: a 55-year-old making $25,000 a year would end up paying $3,600 a year more for coverage; that rises to $8,400 for a 64-year-old making $15,000 a year. And that’s before the death spiral.

[Hoyt]

1. Excellent. Saw on Twitter -- "Trumpcare is like Trump University, but you die."