A New Year and a New Direction

2025 sounds to me like a year far in the future, not the year I’m living in right now. It reminds me of when I woke up one New Year's morning and realized that I was now living in the same year that George Orwell wrote about in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel that I had read 20 years earlier. I don’t want to be overdramatic, but 2025 may turn out to be a year that we look back on and recognize as the start of a new direction in our country’s history.

For Instance, a new form of money, cryptocurrency, that is not linked to or controlled by any government is rapidly growing in popularity and acceptance. Artificial intelligence is inserting itself into every part of our lives, with the promise of making our lives easier while also instilling fear in some that it will grow to control us. We are approaching what many have called a golden era of innovation that could result in life-changing and lifesaving discoveries in all facets of healthcare. These are just a few of the monumental changes that are beginning now.

This year also has the possibility for big changes. First, one party will control the Executive and the Legislative branches of the government, with some claiming they also control the Judicial branch. While this has historically meant that the controlling party’s legislation gets pushed through, this may not be the case this time since the majorities are small, especially in the House where the Republicans can only have 2, 1, or no defections, depending on when empty seats are filled. And remember, a tie in the House is a failure to pass; there is no tie-breaking vote as there is in the Senate. It was also advantageous that the Republicans were able to elect the Speaker of the House without a long-drawn-out battle. They were also able to change the rules so it wasn’t so easy to remove the standing Speaker. I am hopeful avoiding these political barriers will make it possible for our law makers to concentrate on passing laws that will help seniors.

So, what will be the first order of business for Trump’s second term? He has said that he will rescind a large number of executive orders and regulations that were instituted by the Biden administration. Since some of these deal directly with healthcare, we’ll need to be especially vigilant in monitoring the impact of these cancelations. I’ve commented in past blogs about my disdain for executive orders and the wide-ranging arbitrary changes in regulations that may have a big impact on the future of your health. I’ve often said that giving this type of power to just one branch of government or to any civilian agency is dangerous, so my hope is that these removals will not be accompanied by Trump enacting a number of his own.

I think President-elect Trump will also be under a great deal of pressure to take some sort of action on immigration and will be under pressure to follow through on his campaign promise to do something concerning the war in Ukraine. Both of these issues are sure to limit his ability to deal with healthcare issues. There is a reason, however, that may encourage him to take some action. As you may remember there were many healthcare changes that were originally included in the Continuing Resolution (CR) that were pulled in the last minute to get the resolution passed before the funding deadline. Those omissions, many of which had bi-partisan support, will put the incoming President under some pressure to act quickly. We’ll wait and see how he reacts.

I have observed that President-elect Trump has always paid attention to the popular voice, that’s why the recent uproar focused on the health insurance business is bound to attract his attention and might result in quick action. It is this type of knee-jerk response that also worries me because it often doesn’t include input from the stakeholders or a thorough evaluation of possible unintended consequences. The insurance companies are at the mercy of government regulations and constraints - especially Medicare Advantage plans – and they often find it difficult to predict the impact of these changes. This year will certainly be a year of change for healthcare.

Historically, unforeseen events have often diverted the attention of the incoming President. The world is definitely in turmoil, and a sudden event, especially at home, may postpone or change the trajectory of any early plans the President-elect might have.

There is one thing to remember, even if it seems that we, as older Americans, have no control over the government’s impact on our healthcare, our voice matters. While I’ve mentioned the downside of a knee-jerk reaction, I also know that the voice of reasonable people, specifically those seniors who are often the most affected by a policy change, can make a difference. We’ll do our best to keep you up to date on what looks to be a hectic and fast-moving policy environment. I urge you to be proactive, especially if your member of Congress is new. Let them know that you are interested in what they do and how they vote and have ideas about what is the right way to go. Click here to go to our page that will give you the information on how to contact your Representative and your Senators. Your voice really does matter and I look forward to keeping you up to date this year.

Best, Thair