HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Consumers will begin signing up Wednesday [11-1-17] to take part in the Affordable Care Act next year, kicking off a crucial six-week stretch that could test the law’s durability amid Republican leaders’ continuing desire to see it repealed.
This year’s annual open-enrollment period, the fifth in the ACA’s history, faces more uncertainty than previous years, since the Trump administration has opted to cut the sign-up period by half and pull back $116 million that had been designated for advertising and outreach.
Health analysts widely expect the number of people who purchase insurance through the law’s exchanges to dwindle as a result, fueling a partisan debate over whether the Obama-era law is sinking of its own accord or being undercut by the administration’s actions.”
-Michelle Hackman, “Health Analysts Expect Lower ACA Enrollments as Shorter Sign-Up Period Opens,” The Wall Street Journal online, Nov. 1, 2017 07:00am