Executive Order Will Likely Further Deplete Healthy Pool Of ACA Customers, Weaken Patient Protections
It's unclear exactly how much the executive order will affect the marketplaces, but analysts see it further destabilizing an already shaky landscape.
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Health Order Could Hurt Many Insurers, Help Others
The executive order on the health-care system signed Thursday by President Donald Trump will likely have a split effect on the health-insurance industry, creating new challenges for many companies but opportunities for others. The impact of the order will take months to become clear, as federal agencies move the changes through the regulatory process. But actuaries and industry officials said the shift could create problems for insurers that offer plans under the Affordable Care Act, both to individuals and small businesses. (Wilde Mathews, 10/12)
Bloomberg:
Trump's Health Care Executive Order: Few Silver Linings
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to make it easier for Americans to buy skimpier and cheaper health insurance. The order isn't as aggressive as it might have been in undermining the ACA, but that's scant reassurance for insurers, who face an administration that seems actively hostile to a law it's supposed to enforce. The order aims to let association health plans -- groups of small employers banding together to buy insurance -- offer coverage throughout the U.S. Insurers consistently oppose selling health insurance across state lines because of varying regulations. (Nisen, 10/12)
The Hill:
Hospital Group Warns Trump's Executive Order Could Weaken Insurance Markets
The largest hospital association warned that an executive order signed by President Trump on Thursday could destabilize insurance markets and make coverage unaffordable for people with pre-existing conditions. "Today’s Executive Order will allow health insurance plans that cover fewer benefits and offer fewer consumer protections," said Tom Nickels, executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, in a statement. (Hellmann, 10/12)
The Hill:
Health Groups Warn Trump's Executive Order Could Hurt Patients
Nearly 20 health organizations warn that an executive order signed by President Trump on Thursday could weaken patient protections and destabilize the individual market. ...Trump’s order seeks to expand the ability of small businesses and other groups to band together to buy health insurance through what are known as association health plans. It also lifts limits on short-term health insurance plans. (Hellmann, 10/12)
Reuters:
Trump Healthcare Order Could Run Afoul Of Retirement Plan Law
President Donald Trump's plan to make it easier for small businesses to band together and buy stripped-down health insurance plans could violate a federal law governing employee benefit plans and will almost certainly be challenged in court, legal experts said. (Pierson and Raymond, 10/12)