Trump regime hikes healthcare costs

It's that time of year when our medical insurance companies and Medicare are notifying us of the changes for the 2026 plan. Mine arrived last week, and although I anticipated an increase, I was not prepared for the amount. I am sad to report that we can expect to see some whopping increases, between 10 and 20%, whether we are on an individual plan or covered by the Affordable Care Act.

In addition, Medicare beneficiaries may also see increases in Part A (hospitalization), Part B (outpatient care) and Part D (pharmacy) premiums.

The price jump, we're told, is largely driven by rising healthcare costs, the increased use of high-cost drugs, smaller risk pools, general inflation, and the expiration of enhanced ACA tax credits enacted under the Biden administration.

We've also learned that so-called "artificial intelligence" computer programs that now deny private insurance coverage for some procedures may also decide that some doctor-recommended healthcare might not be covered by Medicare.

These are changes that hit all of us in the wallet, no matter what our political affiliation, age, race or sexual orientation. The only ones who don't care about the increases are the billionaires and those getting rich off protecting the billionaires.

Now we finally know how the president's "concepts of a plan" that he promised would improve healthcare actually plays out.

Next year, when you are hurting from increased medical expenses, remember Tom Tiffany supported the increases. Vote him out.

Pam Fricke

New Richmond