A state of uncertainty lingers for Rhode Island’s online health insurance marketplace, HealthSource RI, now that Donald Trump has been elected president. Trump has promised to repeal Obamacare, which made the exchanges possible.
Tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders have bought coverage through the exchange, and a majority receives subsidies from the federal government to help them pay for that coverage. Will any of that go away? HealthSource RI director Zach Sherman says it’s difficult to plan for the unknown:
“We’re prepared to react to any changes that may be coming down from the federal level. In the meantime, our primary focus is continuing to work to provide affordable coverage during this open enrollment period.”
Sherman’s boss Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts also says that Rhode Island has a long tradition of promoting affordable health insurance coverage for residents, and the state will remain committed to that no matter the president-elect’s decisions.
“So I don’t see us as being a state that backs away from that commitment. We will clearly have to engage with our federal partners.”
And they’ll have to respond to any new federal mandates. But Roberts says there’s too much uncertainty now about what the new president will do to make back-up plans.