Trump Just Signed an Executive Order That Will Skyrocket Premiums and All but Kill ObamaCare Exchanges

Trump’s Only Goal in This Move: To Kill ObamaCare

In the video above from June President Donald Trump, before one of his many failed attempts to repeal and “replace” ObamaCare, tells Americans, “ObamaCare is dead.” While most Americans thought his comments, often repeated, were just a lie, as it turns out, it was a threat – one President Trump just carried out.

Late Thursday morning President Trump made an end-run around the law. 

Via executive order, Trump has just allowed health insurance companies to create plans that do not meet the minimum required standards mandated by the Affordable Care Act. These plans can charge more for people with pre-existing conditions, and while offering some people less expensive premiums, they also offer less coverage. 

What this will do is draw people out of the ObamaCare exchanges, leaving those Americans who do have pre-existing conditions in what ultimately will become a high-risk pool – with far higher premiums and drug co-pays. 

The Wall Street Journal reports Trump’s executive order will “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.”

As it is, Trump has already allowed ObamaCare health exchange plans to dramatically increase premiums by refusing to promise to fulfill his responsibility as President and fund the exchanges – the premium offsets that help people who do not meet certain income levels to buy insurance at a subsidized, and thus lower, cost.

Here is the text of the order, posted by Andy Slavitt, who ran Medicare and Medicaid under the Obama administration:

UPDATE:
CNN reports “President Donald Trump took his first steps Thursday toward fulfilling his vow to dismantle Obamacare.”

New York Magazine: “Health-policy wonk Tim Jost said of the proposed executive order that it would ‘destroy the small-group market …. We’ll be back to where we were before the Affordable Care Act.’ That’s sort of the big idea here, though it’s unclear if its proud author understands.”

This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change. This story will be updated, and NCRM will likely publish follow-up stories on this news. Stay tuned and refresh for updates.

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