Today, BuzzFeed News reported that the Trump Administration is doubling down on its sabotage of the health care marketplace by ordering the Department of Health and Human Services’ regional directors to stop participating in open enrollment events. According to BuzzFeed News, all ten HHS regional directors “were told not to participate in state-based events promoting open enrollment — a significant change from years past,” and one that will surely be detrimental to enrolling people across the country. “I didn’t call it sabotage,” Mississippi Health Advocacy Program Executive Director Roy Mitchell said. “But that’s what it is.”
Earlier in the day Vox reported on the events in Mississippi being abruptly canceled, and it is now clear such a directive is part of a larger nefarious plan. This order comes on the heels of the Administration’s decision to limit the working period of HealthCare.gov and decrease open enrollment advertising by $90 million, and as the President continues to call for a partisan repeal bill. Protect Our Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement in response to the Administration’s unprecedented sabotage efforts:
“What this Administration is doing is appalling,” said Woodhouse. “President Trump and Republicans who have cheered him on and supported repeal, and now sabotage, of our health care are intentionally harming people for sheer politics. The fact that they’re carrying these actions out the day after their heinous repeal bill fell through makes it all the more shameful. These actions are disgraceful, unprecedented and will ultimately have harmful effects on the very people they purport to serve — the American people know who to hold accountable for undermining their health care.”