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[Kevinroc]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-sta...-law-trump-to-ease-insurance-rules-1507771015

President Donald Trump is planning to sign an executive order Thursday to initiate the unwinding of the Affordable Care Act, paving the way for sweeping changes to health-insurance regulations by instructing agencies to allow the sale of less-comprehensive health plans to expand.

Mr. Trump, using his authority to accomplish some of what Republicans failed to achieve with their stalled congressional health-care overhaul, will direct federal agencies to take actions aimed at providing lower-cost options and fostering competition in the individual insurance markets, according to a Wall Street Journal interview with two senior White House officials. The specific steps included in the order will represent only the first moves in his White House’s effort to strike parts of the law, the officials said.

Health analysts predicted that Thursday’s order could tempt critics to pursue legal challenges, opening a new front in the health-care battle. But the order is likely to leave much of the implementation details to agencies, senior White House officials said Wednesday, and they said they didn’t believe the order could be litigated.

Republicans’ effort to repeal the ACA collapsed in Congress last month, and Mr. Trump hasn’t hidden his displeasure at GOP leaders for that failure or his desire to step into the gap. The White House officials said Wednesday night that the order was specifically crafted in the context of the failure of the repeal bid.

“Since Congress can’t get its act together on HealthCare, I will be using the power of the pen to give great HealthCare to many people – FAST,” Mr. Trump tweeted this week in signaling his intent to issue the executive order.

The order will direct the Labor Department to take steps that speed the way for small businesses, and possibly individuals, to band together in arrangements called association health plans. These insurance plans would be exempt from some regulations, such as the requirement that they offer a specific set of benefits and they would likely attract those with limited health needs.

In another move, the executive order will call for expanded access to short-term health plans whose availability was curtailed by the Obama administration. These plans have more flexibility than others allowed under the ACA, such as an ability to refuse coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Finally, the order will direct agencies to rescind an Obama-era guidance on employer-funded accounts that workers use for medical costs. Employees who have these accounts, called health reimbursement arrangements, will likely be allowed to use them to buy their own insurance plans, something that is now forbidden.

The Obama administration blocked the pretax dollars from being used to buy such plans because of concerns that would prompt employers to stop offering coverage of their own.

https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/918304668639514624

One thing is very clear: tomorrow the ACA is officially no longer Obamacare. It's Trumpcare.

Edit: The EO has been revealed.

https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/918481607337697280

 

[Aequitas]

Should be called TrumpDoesn’tCare™

 

[Omadahl]

Take his ass to court again. Can you just steamroll a Congressional bill like that?

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

Let's just cut to the chase and just make Congress a toothless advisory committee.

 

[LiK]

Should be called TrumpDoesn’tCare™

Boom

 

[Auto_aim1]

How is it that a guy who doesn't know shit about healthcare is allowed to play with the lives of others? Where are the mass protests?

 

[Dice//]

Where are the mass protests?

That's my question.
But for the most part, it seems a lot of major changes he's tried to instill have been harshly rebuffed (so far)

 

[BlazinSkatinAxel]

Should be called TrumpDoesn’tCare™

DonT.Care™

 

[darklin0]

How is it that a guy who doesn't know shit about healthcare is allowed to play with the lives of others? Where are the mass protests?

The protests are held here, in the free speech zone.

Anywhere else and it is shunned by the moderates due to protesters causing them inconvenience.

 

[Apt101]

That last change in OP is a big one. It would absolutely lead to some employers no longer providing insurance.

 

[Blader]

How is it that a guy who doesn't know shit about healthcare is allowed to play with the lives of others? Where are the mass protests?

There are protests all the time. How many have you been to?

 

[Forward]

Trumpcare is Jumbo Shrimp for people with potentially fatal seafood allergies.

 

[Shauni]

Have you all missed the mass protests that happened when they kept trying to repeal the law, you know, the ones where people were literally being dragged out of Congress, including disabled veterans. Not to mention this literally just fucking happened. Like what is it with this 'where are the mass protests' shit? Are you all trying to start some GAF meme or something?

 

[Ponn]

Im sure the conservatives who were saying Obama was being a dictator and trying to bypass the government wont be hypocrites and will give Trump shit for this. Most assuredly. Positively. Guaranteed. Yup.

 

[Saganator]

Have you all missed the mass protests that happened when they kept trying to repeal the law, you know, the ones where people were literally being dragged out of Congress, including disabled veterans. Not to mention this literally just fucking happened. Like what is it with this 'where are the mass protests' shit? Are you all trying to start some GAF meme or something?

You can pretty much bet on that exact post being made in every Trump does something mean/stupid thread.

 

[IamDodongo]

Someone will find a way to blame Obama for this.

 

[mcfrank]

How is it that a guy who doesn't know shit about healthcare is allowed to play with the lives of others? Where are the mass protests?

All over the country. Sign the fuck up.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Ok so if this bullshit can happen then the next Dem president can just sign an EO that reads "I direct my agencies to put into place single payer health care systems" because that's what I'm getting here.

 

[Azuran]

King Emperor Obama the Dictator didn't sign as many EO as this orange fuck does.

Looking forward to the outrage in Fox News over this massive abuse of power!

 

[.Detective.]

Unfortunately this shall soon be following if the impact plays out like it was stressed it would:

NoneLeftAliveForCare

God damn Trump is a fucking monster

 

[EdibleKnife]

Have you all missed the mass protests that happened when they kept trying to repeal the law, you know, the ones where people were literally being dragged out of Congress, including disabled veterans. Not to mention this literally just fucking happened. Like what is it with this 'where are the mass protests' shit? Are you all trying to start some GAF meme or something?

This. People have been beating their heads against the wall since January to keep their healthcare. Blowing up phones and actually making GOP senators cancel open forums for fear of their own angry constituents. Sadly, as mentioned, it had to be some of the people most at risk from the GOP's severe lack of empathy. If you want to actually join in and find some people to protest with locally, you can find them easily because no doubt the people who have been vocal about this will continue to be vocal now and need help.

 

[arglebargle]

i have a vague sense that this is what happened with student loans as well. started out as a reasonable program but regulatory changes (inability to discharge in bankruptcy) really fucked everything up.

 

[Electric Eye]

Good luck with that Dotard Trump see you in court. Again.

 

[Beartruck]

Seems like pretty blatant executive overreach. Can't imagine all of this will stay intact once the courts get it.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Given this administration's track record the only reasonable conclusion to this is that it will backfire on them badly somehow. There's a reason the Senate danced all around this law without touching it, even at the peril of losing all of their donors.

 

[SpiralZilla]

Unfortunately this shall soon be following if the impact plays out like it was stressed it would:

NoneLeftAliveForCare

God damn Trump is a fucking monster

Monster doesn't even begin to describe him, and that goes for the GOP as a whole for enabling him. I can't help but wonder how many people are going to needlessly die both in the states and in Puerto Rico because of their seemingly universal apathy.

 

[Verelios]

Might as well cut everything and rename the country Trumplandia

 

[jimmypython]

Legislatures make the law
Judiciary interprets the law
President enforces the law

ACA is still the law of the land as of now, so by signing orders to literally not enforce it, #45 is going against ALL his job descriptions. Not to mention him not "preserving, protecting and defending" the constitution (oath of office) by attacking the 1st amendment....

People elected a tyrant - the very thing some of the founding fathers feared at the first constitutional convention, e.g. Hamilton

 

[spock]

As for the actual potential changes and additions, some don't sound like bad ideas on the surface. Can anyone add some insight into the policies and possible consequences of the changes?

Edit: these sound more like additions and modifications while maintaining the core of the current ACA or is he basically stripping shit and replacing it via executive order? Its late so I'm a bit "meh" reading-wise.

 

[Derwind]

Yeah, he's not going to like the response he'll be getting in the week to come.

 

[SRG01]

For those of you more well-versed in this topic, can you please outline the negative outcomes from these proposed changes? I have zero clue as to what these changes were supposed to address.

 

[wandering]

Wealthcare

 

[Zeus Molecules]

If the supreme court strike down the gerry mandering laws.......2018 is going to be a republican bloodbath....

 

[WetWaffle]

I hope people keep protesting this. Oh and the Supreme Court try and strike this down. A rich asshole should have no say in laws regarding the healthcare of millions.

 

[norm9]

Free STD of your choice.

 

[Ponn]

As for the actual potential changes and additions, some don't sound like bad ideas on the surface. Can anyone add some insight into the policies and possible consequences of the changes?

Edit: these sound more like additions and modifications while maintaining the core of the current ACA or is he basically stripping shit and replacing it via executive order? Its late so I'm a bit "meh" reading-wise.

For those of you more well-versed in this topic, can you please outline the negative outcomes from these proposed changes? I have zero clue as to what these changes were supposed to address.

Most of the points are already right in the OP, and no they won’t be just additions because most of them contradict the protections ACA offered people.

Allowing cheap limited plans is a way for businesses to wiggle out of being required to offer insurance. Also that feeds right into getting rid of regulations on pre-existing conditions. Along with allowing HSAs to pay for health plans, also a cop out putting the employee at the mercy of the wolves with no bargaining power. On top of those employer funded accounts being originally to offset high deductibles. Now it’s just for premiums, so who’s helping with deductibles now??

“Sure we got a group insurance plan for you pre-existing condition people. It’s premium is 2k a month with a $10,000 deductible and covers nothing. But we got it to offer.”

 

[Inuhanyou]

How is it that a guy who doesn't know shit about healthcare is allowed to play with the lives of others? Where are the mass protests?

A significant amount of people don't know anything about what politicians get up to, let alone the most powerful branches of government. Political apathy and media blackout has done a huge number of this country, as it allows those in power to essentially do whatever.

Not to say your right about people not protesting, there are tons. But if everyone who was in a position to protest actually did? It would be on a completely different level.

 

[mj1108]

Most of the points are already right in the OP, and no they won’t be just additions because most of them contradict the protections ACA offered people.

Allowing cheap limited plans is a way for businesses to wiggle out of being required to offer insurance. Also that feeds right into getting rid of regulations on pre-existing conditions. Along with allowing HSAs to pay for health plans, also a cop out putting the employee at the mercy of the wolves with no bargaining power. On top of those employer funded accounts being originally to offset high deductibles. Now it’s just for premiums, so who’s helping with deductibles now??

“Sure we got a group insurance plan for you pre-existing condition people. It’s premium is 2k a month with a $10,000 deductible and covers nothing. But we got it to offer.”

I can see the cult now:

"Thank you Trump for my cheap healthcare! See, I told you all he would make healthcare cheaper."

*goes into hospital with a catastrophic accident*

*Trumpcare covers next to nothing*

"Why do I have a bill for $200,000? It's all Obama's fault!"

 

[MegaManTrigger]

Should be called TrumpDoesn’tCare™

Pack it up boys and girls, 1st post summed this up amazingly.

 

[EdibleKnife]

As for the actual potential changes and additions, some don't sound like bad ideas on the surface. Can anyone add some insight into the policies and possible consequences of the changes?

Edit: these sound more like additions and modifications while maintaining the core of the current ACA or is he basically stripping shit and replacing it via executive order? Its late so I'm a bit "meh" reading-wise.

For those of you more well-versed in this topic, can you please outline the negative outcomes from these proposed changes? I have zero clue as to what these changes were supposed to address.

Under the draft executive order as described, new regulations would allow association health plans to be considered large employers when it comes to health insurance. Large employers are not subjected to the same rules as individual or small-group plans under Obamacare. Most notably, they do not have to cover all of the law’s essential health benefits or meet the requirement that insurance cover a minimal percentage of a person’s medical bills.

If that change were made, association health plans would be freed to craft skimpier (and cheaper) health plans that appeal only to businesses with younger and healthier employees. Small businesses left in Obamacare’s marketplace would likely face higher costs and fewer options as the market became less attractive to insurers.

“It will destroy the small-group market,” Tim Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University who generally supports Obamacare, told me. “We’ll be back to where we were before the Affordable Care Act.”

The draft order did not specify whether individuals would also be allowed to buy into these associations health plans, as some Republicans like Paul want. But, according to the source, the regulations resulting from the order could potentially be written to allow self-employed people to buy into the now-deregulated association market, which would be an even bigger blow to Obamacare.

The self-employed individuals likely to flee the law’s markets for association plans would probably be younger and healthier, leaving behind an older, sicker pool for the remaining Obamacare plans. That has the makings of a death spiral, with ever-increasing premiums and insurers deciding to leave the market altogether.

...

Trump’s executive order would also expand what’s called short-term limited duration insurance. These short-term policies typically have higher out-of-pocket costs and cover fewer services than traditional insurance. They were designed for people who, for example, expect to be out of work and therefore without insurance for a limited period of time.

That kind of coverage is totally free from the health care law’s insurance regulations: the mandate to cover essential health benefits, the prohibition on charging sick people more than healthy people or denying people coverage based on their medical history, and so on.

Short-term insurance had previously been allowed to last as long as 364 days. The Obama administration, in an effort to curtail the use of such coverage to circumvent the health care law, shortened it to three months. Trump’s draft order would reverse that rule, once again allowing people to buy this non-Obamacare coverage for almost an entire year, my source said.

The effect would be much the same as the changes to association health plans: Healthier people would be the consumers most likely to use this escape hatch to find cheaper, if far less comprehensive, coverage outside of Obamacare — though they would still be subject to the law’s individual mandate, as short-term insurance is not considered sufficient.

“If you allow them to sell 364-day policies, or policies that are renewable, that’s just going to suck a lot of the healthy people out of the individual market,” Jost said.

And here, again, fewer healthy people in the Obamacare market means higher costs to insurers, which leads to higher premiums and possibly more insurers dropping out.

VOX
NPR

 

[Tom Nook]

DonT.Care™

There it is.

 

[MartyStu]

So essentially he is doing all the thing she and the Republicans said Obama should not have done.

Cool.

 

[Karkador]

A president ruling by edict alone.

 

[Seth Enosh]

Legislatures make the law
Judiciary interprets the law
President enforces the law

ACA is still the law of the land as of now, so by signing orders to literally not enforce it, #45 is going against ALL his job descriptions. Not to mention him not "preserving, protecting and defending" the constitution (oath of office) by attacking the 1st amendment....

People elected a tyrant - the very thing some of the founding fathers feared at the first constitutional convention, e.g. Hamilton

Did you say the same thing when Obama signed executive orders attempting to legalize the Dreamers and later attempting to do the same thing more broadly with DAPA (struck down in federal court, repealed by trump)?

This type of nonsense from the Presidency is nothing new unfortunately and I wouldn’t call Obama a tyrant.

The ACA actually has many sections delegating the details to the secretary of HHS so this might even be legal, although Trump’s poor, incompetent administration will likely do a terrible job of implementing any changes,

 

[Ponn]

I can see the cult now:

"Thank you Trump for my cheap healthcare! See, I told you all he would make healthcare cheaper."

*goes into hospital with a catastrophic accident*

*Trumpcare covers next to nothing*

"Why do I have a bill for $200,000? It's all Obama's fault!"

“Going to the ER and not paying your bills is a valid health insurance plan in the US”

A week later.

“Those goddamn freeloaders not paying their ER bills are the reason for my higher deductibles! Probably those illegal immigrants too!”

 

[shattyboombatty]

Well at least if he's ramming it down America's throat, he will joyously take credit for the whole thing... which makes it harder to pin on Obama when shit hits the fan. That would mean admitting he didn't have the power to pass something good, or what he wanted.

Admit lack of power? That's wholly out of character for this asshole. He'll probably just spin people's misery as being "Better than what it was before. The best its ever been!"

 

[chaos789]

Well, I guess I am fucked. Before ACA I was denied repeatedly due to pre-existing conditions. I assume curtailing these regulations is going to make my monthly premium skyrocket. Which I will not be able to afford.

 

[Beartruck]

Also, this dumbass does realize that when costs go up for everyone, they'll blame him right? He owns this shit now.

 

[EdibleKnife]

Also, this dumbass does realize that when costs go up for everyone, they'll blame him right? He owns this shit now.

I honestly don't even trust that and I'm fine being called out as cynical for thinking that way. His supporters have made it clear they'll eat anything up and his propagandists have made it clear they'd write anything to make him look good. If people lose health care/costs go up, they'll just say "it's Democrats faults for forcing his hand, not coming together with the GOP, etc." and Trump voters sitting over piles of hospital bills and dying relatives will buy it.

 

[Mr Swine]

Also, this dumbass does realize that when costs go up for everyone, they'll blame him right? He owns this shit now.

He will blame the clintons, Obama’s and Soros for this!