The Trump administration is slashing funding for ObamaCare enrollment outreach.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials announced on a call with reporters Thursday that funding for advertising and other outreach for ObamaCare enrollment will be cut from $100 million last year to $10 million this year.
A department official argued the administration is seeing "diminishing returns" from ObamaCare spending. Officials also pointed to ObamaCare's shortcomings to justify the cuts.
“A health-care system that has caused premiums to double and left nearly half of our counties with only one coverage option is not working," said HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley. "The Trump administration is determined to serve the American people instead of trying to sell them a bad deal.”
The administration will still be spending some money on signing people up for health-care plans under the law, despite its opposition to ObamaCare.
Officials also announced they are cutting funding for "navigators," which are outside organizations that help sign people up. Funding will be proportional to how navigators have fared in hitting their enrollment target the previous year. If a group signed up 70 percent of their target, they will get 70 percent of the funding.
An HHS official said this system means navigators will be "held accountable."
The reduction in spending on the navigators is a 41 percent cut, down to $36.8 million, HHS said.
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http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/348763-trump-administration-to-slash-obamacare-outreach-funding
