ELECTION
2016 COVERAGE
FEATURE WHEN PARTY LINES CRISSCROSS
“I think Trump would try to do a lot of things administratively, the way Obama has tried to govern for the last couple of years.” Q: The Trump movement is based on a take-back-America concept — a feeling that the same old economic policies pushed by both parties for decades have led to a stagnant economy, stagnant wages and a deteriorating middle class. But a recent survey from the National Association for Business Economics of more than 400 experts found that 55 percent support Clinton’s economic policies, while Trump finished third with 14 percent. Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson received 15 percent support. What do you make of this? DONATELLI: I do like the idea of taking a fresh look at things. It is true that insiders, however you define that term, become comfortable with a certain way of speaking, and most importantly with kind of eliminating things and focusing only on a narrow set of policies that they think are possible. LEWAN: The outsiders, Sanders and Trump, have done us a bit of a favor, at least on trade, and perhaps on some other issues as well. Because they make us question what we had thought was sort of accepted policy. DONATELLI: On the other hand, you have to be able to accomplish these things too. And so you also need people with a pragmatic streak who not only have big visions but have some idea how they want to accomplish it. Q: Trump’s stated position is to repeal the ACA and replace it with a plan based on free-market principles that allows insurance to be purchased 30
across state lines. Clinton, meanwhile, vowed to strengthen the ACA and introduce an affordable health care and prescription drug plan. Is the Affordable Care Act headed for major changes regardless of who wins? LEWAN: I’d be shocked, given what happened to Hillary Clinton back in 1993 and
DONATELLI: The most popular option would be some sort of a tax credit or a deduction to allow people to purchase private plans. So it’s sort of an indirect subsidy in that way. But you would eliminate the whole bureaucracy that governs the exchanges now. Q: What can the new president do to avoid the gridlock that plagued Obama? DONATELLI: Obama reaps what he sows. I mean, he’s an executive order guy because that’s what he wants to do. He has never wanted to work with Congress. Never. He thinks it’s beneath him to actually lobby members of Congress. LEWAN: Words of great wisdom, Frank. I actually do believe Hillary Clinton and Speaker Ryan, both as sort of policy wonks and both having an ideology but also a bedrock desire to get things done,
“Hillary would be more buttoned-down, like some Republican administrations.” 1994, if she would try in her first term even — and certainly not in the first year or two — to make significant changes to the Affordable Care Act. DONATELLI: I would disagree a little bit, because I think circumstances are going to require her and the Congress to do something because the exchanges are imploding. If you don’t have insurance companies participating and you have these huge premium increases going on, something is going to have to be done to stabilize the exchanges. LEWAN: There’s a fairly thoughtful Republican plan that Speaker Ryan and others have worked on. Obviously it’s a starting point, because you can’t just repeal this. You have to repeal and replace.
InsuranceNewsNet Magazine » October 2016
can find ways to work together, be it on tax reform or regulatory policy, that will make some sense. DONATELLI: I really believe that the new president, whoever that is, has a chance to break that. They owe it to the country, whoever is elected, to make every effort to work in conjunction with the Congress. And I believe that if they do that, you might be able to get some things done next year. InsuranceNewsNet Senior Editor John Hilton has covered business and other beats in more than 20 years of daily journalism. John may be reached at john. hilton@innfeedback.com.