HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration took another whack at the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday [8-1-18]. Officials unveiled a final rule that will make it easier to obtain coverage through short-term health insurance plans, which don’t have to adhere to the law’s consumer protections. The move would reverse an Obama administration decision to limit the duration of short-term plans to no more than 90 days in order to make them less attractive. Insurers will soon be allowed to sell these policies for just under a year. They can be renewed for up to 36 months, though that renewal isn’t guaranteed. Administration officials say the short-term plans will provide a cheaper health insurance alternative for those who can’t afford to buy coverage on the Obamacare exchanges…But patient advocates and health policy experts argue that these policies provide only skimpy coverage and will undermine the Affordable Care Act. Other actions the administration has taken this year include making it easier for small businesses to band together to buy coverage and slashing support for a program that helps people sign up for Obamacare.”
-Tami Luhby, “Trump administration makes it easier to buy alternative to Obamacare,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, August 1, 2018 8:32 am