Krystal Clear: Trump administration keeps undermining healthcare

By Krystal Ball

Remember that? President Trump campaigned to the left of Hillary Clinton on a few key issues like health care – and it worked.

But, of course, these populist promises soon proved to be empty.

Trump promptly outsourced the new health care law to Paul Ryan and company. They came up with a bill that would have cost more and covered fewer people.

Sustained public pressure caused that turd to fail and, with tail between their legs, Republicans moved on to their comfort zone of giving rich people even more tax cuts.

So that’s that right? Not even close.

The Trump administration has been quietly moving to systematically undermine health care putting lives at risk and offering no alternative solution.

First, the Trump justice department told a federal court that the architecture of Obamacare, which allows people with pre-existing conditions to gain coverage, was unconstitutional.

Then we learned that they would freeze risk adjustment payments which help to stabilize insurers with higher risk patients, and now we’ve learned that Trump and company are slashing payments to so called “navigators,” who help patients be able to understand their options and get enrolled.

Oh, and by the way, should any of this end up at the Supreme Court, Trump’s new SCOTUS pick has argued for broad executive power in choosing which laws exactly passed by Congress are actually implemented.

On a recent day, a woman was horrifically injured – her leg mangled to the bone, when it got stuck between a subway train and the platform.

In between her wails of pain, she could be heard begging onlookers to not call an ambulance.

“It’s $3,000,” she said. “I can’t afford that.”

Now, this is the reality of the American health care system and apparently, that’s just fine with Donald Trump.

Krystal Ball is the co-host of “Rising,” Hill.TV’s morning news show.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill.