Taking the Cure

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The battle over health care isn’t over yet, it turns out.

President Donald Trump last week signaled he intends to return to the field that Republicans left bloodied, defeated, and demoralized weeks ago, victims of their own failed strategy and dissent within the ranks.

He now says replacing the Affordable Care Act is still a top priority before budget reforms. Trump has even threatened to withhold federal payments to insurers that help subsidize medical costs for the poorest Americans.

But as Trump prepares to rally his troops yet again, new banners are flying on the opposing side.

After weeks of silence, several major insurance companies spoke out against the threat to cut federal funding, sending letters to Trump and congressional leaders warning of the risks of taking such action.

It’s about time.

For weeks, only J. Mario Molina, a physician and chief executive of Long Beach-based Molina Healthcare Inc., was the lone voice from this camp making himself heard.

He has argued publicly that the stability of the health insurance marketplace hinged on four key elements: addressing risk transfer methodology, federal cost-sharing reductions and premium subsidies, a strong incentive for the purchase of health insurance, and stricter validation of eligibility for the special enrollment period.

Without these, he has argued, both patients and insurers would be severely harmed by the Republican plan.

It’s unclear whether anyone has been swayed, but such a frank assessment from within an industry that at times has been vilified for its profits and methods took guts. Molina should be lauded for his efforts.

Other insurance company executives, who profess to have an interest in helping patients meet their health care needs, must also take a stance on the effort to repeal and replace the ACA. An alternative that would leave millions of people uninsured cannot stand.

Insurance companies’ silence through the initial effort to undo the ACA was thunderous.

It’s time other insurers join Molina in sounding their horns, unfurling their banners, and stepping onto the battle field.

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