Washington, D.C. - October 13, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order directing his Administration to craft new policies increasing competition, choice, and affordability for health care across the American workforce.
According to the White House, the order:
1. directs the Secretary of Labor to consider expanding access to Association Health Plans, which could potentially allow American employers to form groups across State Lines;
2. directs the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services to consider expanding coverage through low cost shorter-term limited duration insurance; and
3. directs the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services to consider changes to Health Reimbursement Arrangements so employers can make better use of them for their employees.
Below are statements from House Representatives about the executive order:
Buddy Carter (R-GA, 1st)
"Thanks to dysfunction in the Senate, Congress has not been able to deliver on our promise to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a patient-centered system." said Carter. "While I would have preferred these moves come from Congress, I am grateful President Trump acted today to deliver relief to Americans suffering under Obamacare. This Executive Order works to deliver choice and control back to patients and is a good step towards lowering health care costs. I look forward to continued work with President Trump to finally repeal Obamacare and lower health care costs for all Americans."
Judy Chu (D-CA, 27th)
“Donald Trump will do anything to avoid working with Democrats to improve the healthcare of Americans – including intentionally sabotaging our country's healthcare system. That is what he is doing with this executive order. It is a craven attempt by the President to justify his party’s attacks on the ACA, which has been successful at increasing coverage for millions. That is why Republicans have been unable to pass a repeal of the law. But refusing to accept his failure, Trump is trying to double down with this plan to peel healthy individuals away from the ACA marketplaces and make costs rise for consumers. By offering cheap plans with poor coverage, he is ensuring that only healthy people will buy them – leaving the sick and elderly with more expensive options. This signals a return to the segmented healthcare system we had before the ACA, where being sick could mean bankruptcy or worse. And it is the most vulnerable Americans who will pay this price to salve Trump’s ego.”
“The American people are hurting. And President Trump continues to fail them. This executive order will sabotage the health care market and drive up costs for working people. The President should be working with Democrats to make the Affordable Care Act even stronger. Instead, he’s creating chaos and undermining access.”
Katherine Clark (D-MA, 5th)
“Make no mistake: Trump and Republicans will risk the lives of our most vulnerable to fulfill a dangerous political promise to their base. Trump is using the highest office in the nation to sabotage our healthcare system and ignore the will of the majority of Americans who rejected Trumpcare. Republicans are bent on dragging us back to the days when insurance companies decided who lived or died, and I will fight this every step of the way.”
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO, 5th)
“Instead of working with Congress to determine what’s best for Americans and their health care, the President has decided to force his political agenda on the American people. There is a reason why the GOP effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has failed time and time again. The President wants to blame Democrats but the truth is, the proposed health care changes will hurt millions, regardless of their party affiliation. These changes are designed to allow loopholes around ACA core requirements, such as the coverage of essential health benefits.
Associations that band together to buy insurance will be exempt from having to cover certain prescription drug benefits, maternity care, or mental health services. The executive order will allow insurance companies to offer skimpy, short-term plans that don’t actually provide good coverage. This will attract the young and healthy customers at the expense of older or sicker individuals and their families, and will destabilize the insurance markets. The American people have spoken – more than once – and they want Congress to work together to find ways to improve upon the ACA, not continue to roll back patient protections.”
Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly (D-VA, 11th)
"The Trumpcare executive order is the latest act of sabotage on the Affordable Care Act that will threaten coverage of pre-existing conditions and increase costs. Americans have repeatedly rejected Trumpcare. Let’s improve the Affordable Care Act, not leave millions of people more vulnerable."
Jim Cooper (D-TN, 5th)
“Today’s announcement is one of many steps this administration has taken to undermine the Affordable Care Act. It creates an exclusive market for the healthy at the expense of the sick, and is opposed by all kinds of health care experts,” Rep. Cooper said. “In the end, Washington lobbyists stand to benefit the most. This executive order will only hurt Americans, not help them.”
Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota)
“Given the Senate’s unwillingness to repeal and replace Obamacare, I greatly appreciate President Trump’s decisive actions. While an executive order can never take the place of passing meaningful health care reform legislation, it’s the least we can do until another U.S. Senator decides to put the interests of the American people first by voting to fix our collapsing health care system.”
Kathy Castor (D-FL, 14th)
“I am especially concerned that President Trump supports erosion of coverage for pre-existing conditions and other essential health benefits. This will prove costly to American families. After the American people fought off Republican attempts to gut the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, President Trump takes another tack to purposely sabotage affordable health care for hardworking families. He is unwilling to engage in the difficult work to fix and improve affordable health insurance so instead chooses to raise premiums significantly and price people with pre-existing conditions out of the market. These measures will hurt my neighbors over the long run as affordable coverage options shrink every year, all so the President can settle a political score. I am calling on President Trump and his administration to stand on the side of hardworking Americans and stop their cruel sabotage of our health care.”
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