Saturday, January 21, 2017

Ending Obamacare

TRUMP HITS OBAMACARE ON 1ST HOURS IN OFFICE, Authorizes agencies to immediately 'ease the burden' on states, businesses, individuals, by Bob Unruh, 1/20/17, WND

President Trump on Friday, during his first hours in office, targeted Obamacare with an executive order that instructs federal officials “shall” grant exemptions to any “fiscal burden” or “fee” pending under the federal health-care takeover law.

Trump, during his campaign, had promised to repeal and replace the massive federal bureaucracy Obama created with support only from Democrats, a system that dictates what insurance every individual American must buy, including what must be covered.

Trump also promised to attack Obamacare on his first day in office. He kept that promise, even though the entire law cannot removed by executive order.

To make those moves, Congress already is considering several different replacement proposals, but neither the GOP majority in Congress nor the GOP president in the White House has expressed interest in leaving people without coverage.


Trump’s executive order was titled “Minimizing the economic burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act pending repeal.”

He outlined that it is his policy “to seek the prompt repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended (the ‘Act’). In the meantime, pending such repeal, it is imperative for the executive branch to ensure that the law is being efficiently implemented, take all actions consistent with law to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the Act, and prepare to afford the States more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market.”

So he ordered that “to the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies (agencies) with authorities and responsibilities under the Act shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.”

Federal officials also were told to give states all the flexibility possible and to encourage the development “of a free and open market in interstate commerce for the offering of healthcare services and health insurance.” He directed that the order “shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.” Trump also ordered that proposed federal rules be suspended where possible pending further review.

NBC had reported only hours earlier there were some things Trump could do immediately to move against Obamacare.

Larry Leavitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation had told the network, “They have a lot of tools at their disposal to put new rules in place quickly.”

Such as ending free contraceptive coverage entirely, he said. Also, insurance companies could be allowed to decide what they pay for regarding the number of physician visits.
Levitt pointed out that nothing in the law “says hospital care has to be unlimited.”

Another issue? The federal subsidies to pay cost-sharing reductions for more than 60 percent of Obamacare customers, he explained. Congress has refused to allocate money for the program, but Obama kept making the payments anyway.

Finally, he said, “The Trump administration could virtually end the individual mandate all on their own by using their authority to grant hardship waivers. There is no definition of hardship in the law.”

Although the wording is different, Trump’s instructions for waivers for any “fee” or “tax” on consumers appears to be pertinent.


http://www.wnd.com/2017/01/trump-hits-obamacare-on-1st-hours-in-office/


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