President Donald Trump’s first actions in the Oval Office included rolling back health care policies put forth by former President Joe Biden, including expansions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare.”
Immediately after he was sworn in on Monday, Trump moved quickly to cancel Biden’s long list Executive orders Covers a wide range of issues. Among the orders being rescinded are Biden’s efforts to expand access to the Affordable Care Act and return the federal program “to what it was before Trump became president” the first time.
The move angered Democrats, who argued that the measure was a hoax “attacks” In the federal health insurance program.
“Donald Trump’s immediate priority as president is to deprive tens of millions of Americans of affordable health care coverage and harm people with pre-existing conditions.” Democratic National Committee He said in a statement Tuesday.
Shortly after taking office in January 2021, Biden issued Executive Order 14009, titled “Strengthening the Medicaid and Affordable Care Act.” The move, which Trump rescinded as part of his executive actions on Day One, doubled the time window in which uninsured Americans had to apply to participate in the federal insurance program. Under Trump’s first term, the ACA’s open enrollment period was six weeks.
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In addition to expanding the open enrollment period, Biden’s January 2021 executive order also directed all relevant federal agencies to examine their policies and implement any necessary changes to help cover more people under the ACA.
President Trump has denied that he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, in April the following year, Biden signed a second executive order to “further strengthen Americans’ access to high-quality, affordable health coverage,” which Trump also retracted on Monday. Biden’s April order directed Department of Health and Human Services To analyze new policies aimed at “exploring how to collect medical debt from beneficiaries,” in order to find new ways to reduce “the burden of medical debt on working families and individuals across the country.”
Consistent with these two, the agencies have facilitated the expansion of the ACA through new eligibility provisions, increased funding for groups that help people sign up for the ACA, and more.
Other changes enacted by Trump during his first days in office included rescinding a Biden-era policy that directed the Medicare and Medicaid programs to investigate how to reduce drug costs. In response, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) imposed a $2 cap on some generic drugs, ensured that Medicare beneficiaries did not overpay for drugs that received accelerated approval, and helped state Medicaid programs pay for some drugs High cost. Advanced treatments. Biden’s policy that capped insulin costs at $35 and implemented a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drug costs was unaffected by Trump’s Day One orders.
Trump also acted during his first day in office to rescind several of Biden’s health orders related to COVID-19, such as guidance to ensure equity in the pandemic response and COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal employees. The United States withdrew from its participation in Global Health Organizationalso.
the Democratic National Committee He argued Tuesday that Trump was “deceiving people with pre-existing conditions.”
“Donald Trump’s immediate priority as president is to deprive tens of millions of Americans of affordable health care coverage,” the Democratic National Committee said in a statement on Tuesday. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, more Americans have health coverage than ever before, and Trump wants to undo that progress even though the American people overwhelmingly support the Affordable Care Act. Trump’s plans will do nothing but raise costs and make Americans “Sicker.”
However, according to a health policy expert from Vanderbilt University, Trump’s health policy moves likely won’t matter when it comes to how much Americans pay for their health care.
An emergency sign marks the entrance to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California, March 23, 2017. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
“When administrations change, many of them want to undo some of the actions of other presidents, even when those actions are more symbolic,” said Dr. Stacey Dusetzina, a professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt. NBC News. “It may mean that the Trump administration is not interested in pursuing any of the work that has since developed through these executive orders.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump administration for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
