Within the first 100 days of Trump, he has managed to declare war on almost everything from women’s rights to healthy school lunches.
Although he continues to receive criticisms and warnings for his actions, he has not shown signs of slowing his process of “Making America great again.” For a majority of people living in the United States, the concept of Trump’s America is a threat to human rights, free speech and general well being.
The vastly unpopular president’s newest crusade is to abolish former President Obama’s health care plan and replace it. Repealing Obamacare has been one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises, and he is wasting no time.
The American Health Care Act would leave millions of citizens without any form of health care, potentially raise the price of insurance and leave people with pre-existing conditions completely helpless. The U.S. remains the only industrialized country without a universal health care plan for its citizens, and it doesn’t seem like our government has plans to change that anytime soon.
In addition to leaving millions without health care, the AHCA is a direct attack on women, considering it would defund Planned Parenthood and restrict women’s access to birth control by allowing states to opt out of essential care. An amendment in the GOP health care reform bill which passed in the House last week, would allow states to grant insurance companies the ability to deny coverage to patients based on their personal medical histories, including if they suffered from.
In addition to sexual assault, the bill endangers people with postpartum depression as well women who have had a cesarean section. Being a woman is now a pre-existing condition considering “menstrual irregularities” made the list. Women are already paying 69 percent more than men in out-of-pocket healthcare costs such as mammograms.  Pregnancy will cost 425 percent more under Trump’s health care plan than Obamacare, according to the Independent.
To make matters worse, under AHCA sexual assault and domestic violence would be considered pre-existing conditions, leaving survivors at jeopardy. Pregnant women, people with breast cancer, diabetes and AIDS also fall under the pre-existing condition category along with about 100 other common illnesses. It’s unlikely Senate Republicans understand the magnitude of the risk they are putting American people under.
The bill would affect people across the board, leading to the unity of doctors, insurers and hospitals who will be directly affected by the bill. Even Blue Shield Insurance, one of the more popular agencies, came out in opposition stating, “It raises the specter that the sickest and neediest among us will be disproportionately hit in losing access,” said Paul Markovich, the company’s president and CEO.
Over time, the bill will cut Medicaid by 25 percent, resulting in a drastic cut in school funding which will ultimately affect programs for students with disabilities. For older adults, the AHCA would raise premiums by the thousands, which retired, sick or low-income older adults would have no way to earn. Basically, no matter who you are, where you’re from or how much money you have, the AHCA will likely affect you or someone close to you. Everyone, that is, besides Congressmen. That’s right, the Obamacare repeal bill contains an exemption for members of Congress and their staffs.
According to the Los Angeles Times, “it would give the incomes of those in the top 20 percent—and especially the top one percent—a significant boost.” In other terms, the AHCA is just another strategic scheme that allows tax cut for the rich, and disregards the rest of Americans.