Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20210129

A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 29 Januari 2021

Biden opens sign-up window for uninsured in time of COVID-19

He cited a Trump policy that allows
employers to provide tax-free money
for workers to buy individual plans.

The abortion-related actions brought
Biden immediate praise from wom-
en's rights groups, as well as condem-
nation from social and religious con-
servatives. Under President Trump,
abortion opponents had free rein to
try to rewrite federal policy, but now
the political pendulum has swung
back. Trump's abortion counseling
restrictions led Planned Parenthood
affiliates to leave the federal family
planning program.

Biden campaigned on repealing long-
standing federal prohibitions against
taxpayer funding for most abortions,
but that was not part of Thursday's
orders. A change of that magnitude to
a group of laws known as the Hyde
Amendment would require congres-
sional approval.

Biden's nominee for health secretary,
California Attorney General Xavier
Becerra, has not yet been confirmed
(AP) — President Joe Biden on markets as coverage has shrunk in the Other directives Biden issued could by the Senate, but the White House
Thursday ordered government economic turmoil of the coronavirus take months to carry out. said that will not stop health agencies
health insurance markets to re- pandemic. That's an executive action from immediately going to work on
open for a special sign-up win- and no legislation is required. He instructed the Department of the president's directives.
dow, offering uninsured Ameri- Health and Human Services to con-
cans a haven as the spread of CO- The new “special enrollment period” sider rescinding Trump regulations The idea of reopening Obamacare's
VID-19 remains dangerously high will begin Feb. 15 and run through that bar federally funded family plan- health insurance markets in the pan-
and vaccines aren't yet widely May 15, the White House said. It ning clinics from referring women demic has had broad support from
available. will be coupled with a promotional for abortions. consumer, medical, and business or-
campaign and a call for states that run ganizations. The main insurer trade
Biden signed an executive order di- their own insurance markets to match HHS will also reexamine a Trump ad- group, America's Health Insurance
recting the HealthCare.gov insur- the federal sign-up opportunity. ministration policy that allows states Plans, applauded Biden's move.
ance markets to take new applications to impose work requirements as a
for subsidized benefits, something The Biden administration has ample condition for low-income people to As the number of uninsured Ameri-
Donald Trump's administration had resources for marketing, said Karen get Medicaid health insurance. Work cans grew because of job losses in the
refused to do. He also instructed his Pollitz, a health insurance expert with requirements have been blocked by pandemic, the Trump administration
administration to consider reversing the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foun- federal courts, which found that they resisted calls to reopen HealthCare.
other Trump health care policies, in- dation. The foundation estimates that led to thousands of people losing cov- gov. Failure to repeal and replace
cluding curbs on abortion counseling the Trump administration left un- erage and violated Medicaid's legal Obamacare was one of the former
and the imposition of work require- spent about $1.2 billion in user fees charge to provide medical services. president's most bitter disappoint-
ments for low-income people getting collected from insurers to help pay The Supreme Court has agreed to ments. His administration contin-
Medicaid. for running the marketplaces. hear the issue. ued trying to find ways to limit the
program or unravel it entirely. A Su-
“There’s nothing new that we’re do- “The reason it wasn’t spent is the And Biden directed HHS to review preme Court decision on Trump’s fi-
ing here other than restoring the Af- Trump administration spent its time Trump policies that could undermine nal legal challenge to the Affordable
fordable Care Act and restoring Med- in office cutting services that support protections for people with health Care Act is expected this year.
icaid to the way it was before Trump consumer enrollment,” Pollitz said. problems, such as a rule that facili-
became president,” Biden said as he “All the while the user fee revenue tated the sale of short-term health in- Experts agree that number of un-
signed the directives in the Oval Of- was coming in, (but) they were not surance plans that don't have to cover insured people has risen because of
fice. He declared he was reversing allowed to spend it on anything other preexisting medical conditions. layoffs in the coronavirus economy,
“my predecessor’s attack on women’s than marketplace operations.” but authoritative estimates await gov-
health." Such changes cannot happen over- ernment studies due later this year.
Created under the Obama-era Af- night. Rescinding a federal regulation While some estimates cite 5 million
The actions were only the first steps fordable Care Act, the marketplaces requires a new regulation, which has to 10 million newly uninsured peo-
by Biden, who has promised to offer taxpayer-subsidized coverage to follow an established legal process ple, the nonpartisan Congressional
build out former President Barack regardless of a person’s medical his- that involves considering different Budget Office says its analysis sug-
Obama’s health care law to achieve a tory or preexisting conditions, in- sides of an issue. gests a smaller number.
goal of coverage for all. While Biden cluding COVID-19.
rejects the idea of a government-run Former Trump health policy adviser Nonetheless, the CBO projects that
system that Sen. Bernie Sanders has Biden also ordered the immediate re- Brian Blase said the Biden admin- nearly 32 million Americans are un-
pushed for in his “Medicare for All” versal of a federal policy that bars tax- istration has to take care it doesn't insured and of those, about 2 in 3 are
proposal, his more centrist approach payer funding for international health throw out some policies intended to eligible for some kind of subsidized
will require congressional buy-in. care nonprofits that promote or pro- help solidly middle-class people who coverage.
But opposition to “Obamacare” runs vide abortions. Known as the Mexico don't qualify for financial assistance
deep among Republicans. City Policy, it can be switched on or under Obama's law. The Obama-era health care law covers
off depending on whether Democrats more than 23 million people through
The most concrete short-term im- or Republicans control the White “Obamacare plans are generally only a mix of subsidized private insurance
pact of Biden's orders will come from House. Abortion rights supporters attractive to people who receive large sold in all states, and expanded Med-
reopening HealthCare.gov insurance call it the “global gag rule.” subsidies to buy them,” said Blase. icaid adopted by 38 states.