After repeated attacks from Democrats, Donald Trump, who has often vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, said that if elected he would only improve it, without offering specifics.
The new regulation reverses a Trump-era policy that expanded access to health plans with fewer benefits than those sold on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces.
A record 21 million people signed up for marketplace plans for 2024, drawn in part by more generous federal subsidies. But the expanded subsidies are set to expire after next year.
Enrollment in Medicaid also reached a record high of 81 million Americans early this year. The spikes reflect the growing demand for health insurance during the pandemic, as well as its greater affordability.
President Biden ordered the reopening of Affordable Care Act exchanges and moved to restore coverage mandates and Medicaid plans undermined by his predecessor.
Philip Esformes was sentenced last year to 20 years for Medicare fraud. Then a well-connected organization supported by his family weighed in with the White House.
A new rule would base the price Medicare pays for certain drugs on the lowest price paid among similar countries. But a rushed process means legal challenges are likely.