The Small-Government Solution to Healthcare for Laid-Off Workers is Simple

People always need to have some level of access to affordable healthcare, but in a pandemic, it’s absolutely crucial. With the second wave of recession causing millions to lose their jobs and subsequently their employer-tied health insurance, we should rethink the norm of getting health coverage from an employer and instead consider signing up for direct primary care.

Since the beginning of February, over 45 million people have filed for unemployment benefits. Worse, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that 27 million people lost their employer-tied health insurance and will be unable to obtain replacement coverage.

The coronavirus is still surging across the country, and the federal response is buckling. Efforts such as expanding Medicaid coverage and Obamacare subsidies for recently laid-off folks fall short of providing coverage to everyone who needs it. The Kaiser Family Foundation claimed that the federal safety net will be unable to cover 1 in 5 people who have lost their employer-tied health insurance. Those that Medicaid won’t cover could face steep insurance premiums or, even worse, go uninsured.

Read the full commentary in the Washington Examiner