Will Donald Trump's Health Care Costs Hurt Black Pockets?

This Saturday signifies one month since the federal government entered a shutdown, impacting hundreds of thousands of federal employees—approximately 20% of whom are Black and 30% veterans. Many now face their second missed paycheck, forcing families nationwide to choose between essentials like groceries, rent, and healthcare. President Trump and Congressional allies are choosing this disruption over addressing an impending healthcare crisis that threatens the well-being of over 170 million Americans.This situation is a crisis manufactured by the administration and easily avoidable. The expiration of critical funding for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), particularly extended tax credits, could lead to over 22 million individuals seeing their out-of-pocket premiums more than double, with 4.2 million at risk of losing coverage altogether.The absence of ACA tax credits will burden everyone with increased healthcare costs. The combination of previous Medicaid cuts could result in annual healthcare expenses escalating by approximately $485 per person for 179 million individuals with employer-based insurance, which translates to nearly $2000 for families of four. Parents may delay their children's checkups, and individuals with chronic conditions will confront harrowing financial choices.For the Black community, rising healthcare expenses signify a dire emergency. Since the ACA's introduction, the uninsured rate among Black...