Study Lists Wichita Falls Among Cities Most Affected by ‘Trumpcare’, Repeal of ‘Obamacare’
A new study released by personal finance website WalletHub ranks Wichita Falls as one of 10 cities in the U.S. most affected by what is now being dubbed ‘Trumpcare.'
The site’s analysts compared 457 U.S. cities based on the differences in premium subsidies that the average household would receive under ‘Obamacare’ and ‘Trumpcare’.
Tax subsidies are a major component of both ‘plans.’ How do these subsidies stack up? For example, in Yuma, AZ, a married couple filing a joint tax return and earning the median household income would receive the highest premium tax subsidy, $12,815, under Obamacare. In Honolulu, Henderson, NV and St. Petersburg, FL a household with the same circumstances would receive the highest premium tax subsidy of $6,000, under Trumpcare.
In Wichita Falls, ranked #9, the average Trumpcare tax subsidy is $5,000, while the Obamacare tax subsidy is $9,434 - a difference of $4,434. Lawton, OK is ranked #38 with a difference of $2,041
A July 2016 Brookings study showed that the ACA, or ‘Obamacare’, led to substantial increases in health care premiums. A study of 3,147 counties across America showed that individual market premiums increased by an average of 47 percent.
The WalletHub study looks like this:
Cities Most Affected by Trumpcare
| Rank | City | Avg. Trumpcare Tax Subsidy | Avg. Obamacare Tax Subsidy | Subsidy Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuma, AZ | $5,000 | $12,815 | -$7,815 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $5,000 | $12,748 | -$7,748 |
| 3 | Syracuse, NY | $4,000 | $10,398 | -$6,398 |
| 4 | Reading, PA | $4,000 | $10,149 | -$6,149 |
| 5 | Chattanooga, TN | $5,000 | $10,786 | -$5,786 |
| 6 | Greenville, NC | $4,000 | $9,067 | -$5,067 |
| 7 | Fayetteville, NC | $5,000 | $9,687 | -$4,687 |
| 8 | Birmingham, AL | $5,000 | $9,494 | -$4,494 |
| 9 | Wichita Falls, TX | $5,000 | $9,434 | -$4,434 |
| 10 | Asheville, NC | $5,000 | $9,232 | -$4,232 |
Cities Least Affected by Trumpcare | |
| 1 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 2 | Huntington Beach, CA |
| 3 | Torrance, CA |
| 4 | Thousand Oaks, CA |
| 5 | Arvada, CO |
| 6 | Carlsbad, CA |
| 7 | Centennial, CO |
| 8 | Mission Viejo, CA |
| 9 | Livonia, MI |
| 10 | Santa Monica, CA |
Republicans have campaigned for years now on a vow to ‘repeal and replace’ Obmacare if given the opportunity, yet no one has ever clearly and concisely spelled out exactly what Obamacare would be replaced with. Republicans faced many angry crowds demanding the ACA's repeal. Now, Republicans are faced with individuals angered at the prospects of losing their healthcare benefits under ACA.
Obamacare may have some success stories, but it's impact has proven financially punitive for many others. One Clay County woman says her husband, still too young to take advantage of Medicare, saw his insurance premiums under ACA jump from around $750 per month in 2016 to over $1100 in 2017, much more than they could afford. And they don’t qualify for a ‘subsidy’.
A House vote on ACHA, the American Healthcare Act, is expected this Thursday. Rep. Justin Amash, a Michigan Republican, Tweeted on Monday that the bill was the most "universally detested piece of legislation" he has seen as a lawmaker so far.
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