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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