October 2017

In related news, this week President Trump signed an Executive Order directing three federal agencies to revise federal regulations on health insurance plans.  The intent of the Executive Order is to relax ACA rules on both short-term health insurance plans, and associated plans, to allow these plans to be sold across state lines with less state and federal regulatory oversight. Until the revised federal rules are written and finalized, any predictions of their impacts are speculative, but it is clear that the Trump Administration is trying to expand health insurance options that skirt ACA requirements like eliminating pre-existing conditions, community rating, limits on age band rating and other consumer protections under ACA.  Many health care experts are predicting these rules, when finalized, will exacerbate the adverse selection problems in the individual insurance market and further destabilize health insurance exchanges.