Michael Hiltzik: The coronavirus crisis exposes the stupidity of Trump's health care policies
Until now, President Trump's approach to health care was alarming chiefly to discrete populations such as low-income families, immigrants, people with preexisting conditions and seniors.
They were in the crosshairs of initiatives to hamstring Medicaid, prevent undocumented residents from seeking medical treatment, destroy the Affordable Care Act and raise the cost of Medicare.
But the world has been changed by the novel coronavirus. Now it's clear that all these initiatives present a health care threat to everyone. They stand in the way of comprehensive screening and treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Trump's hostility to public health programs blinds his administration to how to use the tools already at hand to combat the threat. Precedent exists for using Medicare to bring expensive medical services to Americans - of any age, not just 65 and older - who can't access them any other way. Will the Trump administration get the message? It's doubtful.
The administration has treated proposals
