Posted on 11/29/2018 8:05:11 PM PST by reaganaut1
The Trump administration on Thursday outlined ways states will be allowed to waive parts of the Affordable Care Act, a move that has been welcomed by conservatives, spurred rebukes from Democrats and risks legal action.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which implements the health law, released four templates detailing how states may use waivers. States will get significantly more leeway to change the way they distribute and structure ACA premium subsidies that now go to almost nine million people.
“The specific examples laid out today show how state governments can work with HHS to create more choices and greater flexibility in their health insurance markets, helping to bring down costs and expand access to care,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
The flexibility being offered to states marks a fundamental shift in approach, health analysts say. The Obama administration sought to make sure people had a minimum level of coverage, while the waivers show the focus now is on making sure people have access to some kind of coverage.
ACA supporters say that amounts to giving states and insurers a license to provide inadequate coverage. It undermines the ACA’s intent of providing eligible consumers with financial help to purchase plans that provide certain standards.
“These new templates are nothing more than a how-to guide for health-care sabotage,” Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) said Thursday. “The Trump administration is brazenly warping a tool meant to help states innovate and lower prices so it can further gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and drive up health-care costs.”
Under the new approach, states can let consumers use their premium subsidies under the ACA to buy cheaper health plans that don’t comply with the law or offer some benefits such as maternity care.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Article mentions 4 templates but never describes them.
Brookings blog post criticizing this waiver:
“Medi-Share”
Heads up,
Thanks!
What part of “The Secretary Shall” does Patty Murray not understand?
Had to pass it to find out what was in it after all.
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