President Joe Biden is planning to sign a series of health-related executive orders, including one that will reopen enrollment for the Affordable Care Act exchanges amid the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reports.
Former President Donald Trump not only refused to reopen the exchanges during the pandemic but limited the open enrollment period from 12 weeks to six.
Biden on Thursday will reopen the federal exchange, which serves 36 states, through May 15.
"We're in the middle of a global pandemic, and we want to make sure that people who want health insurance can get it," a White House official told CNN.
Eleven other states that run their own exchanges allowed people who were uninsured during the pandemic to buy coverage. Most of these states, if not all, are also expected to reopen their enrollment.
Biden to roll back Trump orders:
Biden will also direct agencies to roll back numerous policies implemented by Trump, including strengthening protections for people with pre-existing conditions and scrapping rules that undermine the Obamacare exchanges.
He will also direct agencies to review rules that made it tougher to enroll in Obamacare and reduced financial assistance for dependents.
Biden will also ask agencies to review ACA and Medicaid waivers approved under Trump that could undermine the programs, like work requirements.
Biden aims to strengthen ACA:
Biden, who ran on expanding Obamacare, also proposed increasing ACA subsidies in his coronavirus relief proposal so no one pays more than 8.5% of their income on health insurance.
Biden also plans to roll back Trump’s decision to cut the advertising budget for ACA enrollment by 90% and his cuts to enrolment assistance.
Biden’s DOJ is also expected to join Democratic states in opposing a Republican-led lawsuit aimed at overturning the entire law that is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court.
