Election 2020 Update – The Morning After

It’s funny how, in the first moments of any event, we feel that we’re covering new ground…that we’ve never been here before, felt what we feel, and face the unknown with trepidation and even fear.

Last night, I pulled up the notes I wrote at 2:30 am on the morning after the 2016 election. Here’s what I said then:

I sit here watching the state-by-state results of the 2016 Presidential election roll in and realize that this, like all elections, is history in the making. Americans are passionately turning out in record-breaking numbers and standing in long lines to cast their vote in one of the most emotionally charged and closest races in my lifetime. Whether you are a proponent of either or neither of the Presidential candidates, it is clear that America is speaking.
 
Regardless of the final Presidential result, the fact of the matter is that getting things done in Washington will require unity in thought and direction between the House, Senate, and the President. This applies to the future of healthcare and the Affordable Care Act.

Clearly, we’ve been here before. These words are as true today as they were four years ago.

However, one difference between this year and 2016 is the additional pandemic-related steps expanding mail-in voting in many areas. This development allows ballots if they are postmarked by midnight of election day. This adds to the timeline in certain states adopting these rules since states will have to wait to count these ballots until the post office delivers them. In contrast, absentee-ballots, a method long since adopted, typically must be received a week or so earlier so they are verified and on-hand the day of the election.

So, as I sit here at 2:30 am on the morning after the election, I realize that the biggest contrast to 2016 is that we are in limbo. We must wait days or even a week before all the final numbers are in. We must also wait for any final decision on the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next week and from there will deliberate and issue a final decision most likely in 2021, which may not be until June prior to when their session ends.

The bottom line is that today, nothing changes in our healthcare and health insurance world. The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and all the individual state laws surrounding the delivery and financing of health care and health insurance.

What we do know is that:

• life continues and that we continue to move forward to help others;
• time allows us the space to plan and prepare for the future;
• people today and in the future will still bring new babies into the world, become sick, suffer accidents, pass away, and need our help to navigate and prepare for the expenses that are a part of each of these events
• we will be here giving peace of mind - to interpret any new developments, educate, and help individuals, employers and their employees understand the best ways to save and pay for their current and future health care costs no matter what the final outcome is

Stay with us as we watch things unfold and help you navigate the next steps in the healthcare reform journey.

Don’t miss an update. Visit OneDigital’s Election 2020 Hub for clear-cut information and resources as the situation evolves.