President Trump and his fellow Republicans have failed, at least for now, in their bid to repeal Obamacare entirely, but they still have plenty of ways to cripple the law without pulling it off the books.
By blocking funding for subsidies or refusing to enforce the individual mandate, the administration and congressional Republicans could undermine the law’s insurance exchanges — government-established marketplaces where individuals can buy health insurance from private companies, often with the help of federal subsidies. The exchanges and an expanded Medicaid program are the main programs in Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act, aimed at expanding coverage to the uninsured.
While Republicans can attack the exchanges, the marketplaces’ health is ultimately in the hands of the health insurance companies that have to decide whether to participate in them by selling insurance plans and consumers who have to decide whether to buy that insurance.
– Washington Post