Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Uncertainty Over Health Law Could Be Its Downfall In Industry That Lives And Dies On Predictability
Even if Republicans can't find a way to repeal Obamacare, they聽may still have a way to deliver on President Trump's promise that the law will 鈥渆xplode鈥 鈥 all via the power of uncertainty. The administration and Congress could keep insurers guessing over whether it will continue聽federal payments that lower deductibles and copays for millions of Americans next year.聽Without that certainty,聽insurers facing deadlines may decide not to sell plans on the marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act 鈥 or be forced to raise their premiums significantly. (Johnson, 4/11)
The Trump administration says it is willing to continue paying subsidies to health insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act even though House Republicans say the payments are illegal because Congress never authorized them. The statement sends a small but potentially significant signal to insurers, encouraging them to stay in the market. (Pear, 4/10)
Meanwhile, a new study looks at the law's impact on low-income, childless adults聽鈥
As the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress explore ways of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, a new study shows how beneficial the law has been to poor adults who don鈥檛 have children. The study by the Urban Institute found that between 2013 and 2015, the rate of poor, childless adults without health insurance fell by 47.1 percent. (Ollove, 4/10)
