ObamaCare was sick and in need of major surgery no matter who won the election, but with the Trump administration unwilling to promote enrollment or step up enforcement of the individual mandate, the exchanges could be headed for a crisis.
Humana (HUM) said on Feb. 14 that it's making a complete exit. UnitedHealth (UNH) and Aetna (AET) already have one foot out the door, while Anthem (ANTM) and Molina (MOH) won't commit to sticking around in 2018.
Democrats may be tempted, watch ObamaCare unravel and let the GOP reap the whirlwind, but they have an obligation to play a constructive role. Even before this year's enrollment decline, the pool of customers was too small, too old and too costly, and premiums have soared as a result.
Here's ObamaCare's harsh reality: Even among working-class households earning 150% to 250% of the poverty level, supposedly the law's big beneficiaries, just 1 in 3 people who lack insurance from other sources are getting coverage that will protect them from financial disaster. Most of the other two-thirds are uninsured, either because they or a spouse work full time and don't qualify for exchange subsidies, or else they've spurned subsidized bronze plans that carry $6,000-$7,000 deductibles.
