Posted on 10/12/2017 8:05:12 PM PDT by NRx
President Trump is throwing a bomb into the insurance marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act, choosing to end critical payments to health insurers that help millions of lower-income Americans afford coverage. The decision follows an executive order on Thursday to allow alternative health plans that skirt the law’s requirements.
The White House confirmed late Thursday that it would halt federal payments for cost-sharing reductions, although a statement did not specify when. According to two people briefed on the decision, the cutoff will be as of November. The subsidies total about $7 billion this year.
Trump has threatened for months to stop the payments, which help eligible consumers afford their deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses, but held off while other administration officials warned him that such a move would cause an implosion of the ACA marketplaces that could be blamed on Republicans.
Health insurers and state regulators have been in a state of high anxiety over the prospect of the marketplaces cratering because of such White House action. The fifth year’s open-enrollment season for consumers to buy coverage through ACA exchanges will open in less than three weeks, and insurers have said that stopping the cost-sharing payments would be the single greatest step the Trump administration could take to harm the marketplaces — and the law.
Ending the payments is grounds for any insurer to back out of its federal contract to sell health plans for 2018.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
good if true.
This was the ticking time bomb - Obama and the Dems promised that the exchanges would be supa profitable by now so the law only guaranteed subsidies until 2018.
Trump isn’t doing anything illegal - the government doesn’t have to buttress the insurance companies anymore and Trump won’t.
Sounds like the payments are unconstitutional. If they are not a part of the law but are part of executive action, then they did not originate with Congress. But maybe I am missing something. If Congress did not include the subsidies in Obamacare, then President Trump stopping the payments is not his fault but the fault of Congress for not being honest when passing the albatross.
Ahh. Now I understand. Congress is responsible. And Obama.
When does congress lose its kickbacks?
breathtaking, the stupidity is.
but that's not worth mentioning.
Screw them!!This has been a great day for TRUMP!! AWESOME WINNER!!
Leftist commie federal judge issues injunction in 5...4...3...2...
I guess the ball's in Congress' court now... what will the do?
Everyone should have a co-pay, especially MediCaid recipients. Cuts down on gratuitous “over-utilization”.
Working MediCaid patients should be required to pay some level of premium. As more private sector options become available, the MediCaid premium should go up.
I believe the Republicans originally sued over these payments, saying that they were unconstitutional because they didn’t originate in the house. I don’t know what happened to that lawsuit.
Trump is amazing! The do-nothing worthless traitor RINOs refuse to act, so Trump does it without them.
The stupid Democrats, who brought forth this disaster without a single Republican vote, actually believed the rosy senario spun by the lying Gruber. He promised that government subsidies wouldn’t be needed after 2017. So that’s the subsidy deadline the Democrats wrote into the ACA. Pres. Trump knew this sick puppy would die at the end of this year if the GOP didn’t rescue it. Brilliant...again.
“the law’s requirements”
i thought it was just and EO that BO did, not a law.
Guess we’ll need a new medical insurance plan. Good timing.
I pray sparingly because God has 7.2 billion calling him but I thank God every day for PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.