The Trump administration is pulling ads for Obamacare several days before the end of open enrollment, sparking criticism from former Obama officials.
The administration pulled ads that have already been paid for and planned advertising that would have run up until the Jan. 31 open enrollment deadline, according to published reports.
The move comes as the administration seeks to repeal the controversial healthcare law. However, Republicans plan to leave the law and its marketplaces intact for a few years until a replacement is created.
Former Obama administration officials decried the move, saying that enrollment on the website healthcare.gov, used by residents in 38 states and the District of Columbia, was running ahead of schedule.
They also say the move could lead to a death spiral in the individual marketplace, which is used by people that don’t get insurance through their job and includes the law’s exchanges.
“We know that more young people enroll during the final days of open enrollment, but they need to be reminded of the Jan. 31 deadline,” said Kevin Counihan, former CEO of healthcare.gov.
A former Obama administration official also questioned whether Trump would shut down basic outreach such as call centers that assist consumers or technical support for healthcare.gov.
The Trump administration did not immediately return a request for comment.
However, a spokesman told Politico that $5 million of ads was pulled back after the federal government spent more than $60 million in ads in a move to look for efficiencies.
Former Health and Human Services communications director Lori Lodes tweeted late Thursday that the administration didn’t just shut down the ads but also all outreach, “including e-mails, tweets, Facebook & texts.”
And this idea about “efficiences” from an @HHS spox is hilarious. They shut down ALL outreach – including emails, tweets, Facebook, & texts.
— Lori Lodes (@loril) January 27, 2017
