HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Millions of small businesses and self-employed people will be able to buy health-insurance plans exempt from many Affordable Care Act consumer protections under a much-debated rule released Tuesday [6-19-18] by the Trump administration. The rule is a far-reaching step by the administration to wield its regulatory powers to chisel away at the Obama-era health law. It was undertaken at the behest of President Donald Trump, who last year called for the change in an executive order. The rule makes it far easier for small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together and obtain ‘association health plans’ for themselves and their employees. Many of the plans will be subject to the same rules as larger employers, which means they won’t have to provide comprehensive benefits, such as maternity services, prescription drugs, or mental health care, mandated under the ACA…Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Restaurant Association praised the move, saying it will give small employers the flexibility to cover workers at a lower cost. Democrats said it would drive up costs for people with pre-existing conditions and people who buy their own coverage on the individual market.’
-Stephanie Armour, “New Trump Administration Rule to Expand Access to Health Plans Without ACA Protections,” The Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2018 3:10 pm