Trump plans executive order allowing health insurers to sell across state lines
President Donald Trump said he plans to issue an executive order possibly next week that would allow Americans to buy health insurance across state lines, a move that Republicans have said could cut costs and boost competition in the insurance market. Trump said he also plans to work with Democrats on a bipartisan health care bill in the next few months.
The Hill (9/27), The Examiner (Washington, D.C.) (9/27) |
Category Archives: Individual Health Plans
GOP -Another Try at Repeal
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Drug Transparency Bill – Calfornia
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Extension of Obamacare
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Hope to stabilize Health Care
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Alexander (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
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WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF POLITICIANS HAD TO BE COVERED WITH OUR CURRENT HEALTH pLAN
If President Trump were to issue an executive order resending the exemption for Politicians from the Affordable Care Act (ACA “ObamacareP}, how quickly do you think the Congress and/or Senate would come up with something workable? Or do you think they could live with the same coverage you live with?
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE IS REPEALED
“Repeal and Replace”
Ultimately, whether the individual mandate and the associated penalty remains intact or goes away depends on what Republicans in the Senate decide to do. The American Health Care Act, which passed the House of Representatives in early May, would not eliminate the individual mandate but rather would reduce the penalty to $0 effective immediately.
The mandate would eventually be replaced by a “continuous coverage incentive” that would provide for a 30% surcharge for late enrollees in the individual market. Basically, anyone with a coverage gap of 63 days or more in the previous 12 months would pay 30% more for the next 12 months, giving individuals an incentive to purchase and maintain health insurance.
The Senate is still working on its version of the bill, and while there were multiple reports that they were going to start over from scratch, we really don’t know what the bill will look like since it’s being crafted in private, hidden from the public and even from Democratic lawmakers. As the New York Times puts it, “they are coming up with the legislation behind closed doors without holding hearings, without consulting lawmakers who disagree with them and without engaging in any meaningful public debate.”
Whatever emerges out of the Senate, we still don’t know what, if anything, will end up happening. In the end, the House and Senate must agree and vote on a single version of the bill to send to the President’s desk, and right now there’s still a lot of disagreement. Top that with the fact that President Trump is now saying that the House version of the bill is “mean,” and we really don’t know what to expect.
EpiPen – $465 Million Settlement
The New York Times (free-article access for SmartBrief readers) (10/7)
Keep Your Eyes on Health Savings Accounts
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) has introduced legislation that would expand the use of Health Savings Accounts. Current law only allows HSAs to be purchased for high-deductible health plans, and contributions are restricted to levels that are often substantially lower than deductibles. The Health Savings Act of 2014 (H.R. 4777) would ensure HSAs may be used more broadly, thereby increasing patient choice in how their health care dollars are spent.
Mental Health Coverage required in new ACA Plans
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which was approved in 2008, requires insurers to provide mental health care that is comparable to or better than physical health coverage. However, only 4% of people surveyed recently by the American Psychological Association said they knew of the law, the same percentage as in 2010.Employee Benefit News (5/21)