Trump seeks help of insurers to smooth
Obamacare transition
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[February 28, 2017]
By Caroline Humer and Yasmeen Abutaleb
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President
Donald Trump sought on Monday to bring the nation's largest insurance
companies on board with his plans to overhaul Obamacare, saying their
help was needed to deliver a smooth transition to the Republicans' new
plan.
"We must work together to save Americans from Obamacare – you people
know that and everyone knows that - to create more competition and to
bring down prices substantially," Trump told insurers at a meeting at
the White House.
The gathering took place a day before Trump was to deliver a major
policy speech to the U.S. Congress. In attendance at the meeting were
insurers who participate in the Obamacare health insurance exchanges as
well as some that have pulled most or all of their Obamacare individual
insurance offerings.
The president needs insurers to participate in the individual insurance
market to keep up competition and keep costs in check.
The speech to Congress is a chance for Trump to elaborate on his
healthcare policy, one of his top domestic priorities. Trump and
Republicans have vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act,
former President Barack Obama's signature piece of domestic policy, but
have not released details yet.
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Trump told the insurers that his changes would include expanded
healthcare savings accounts, which are tax-free savings accounts
typically used with high-deductible insurance plans, and the sale of
health plans across state lines. He also said that he wanted states to
have more flexibility but did not provide details.
Trump previously discussed these ideas on the campaign trail. It is
unclear how they would be implemented, or what changes he might make to
Medicaid expansion, another key component of the Obamacare law.
Trump told insurers, including UnitedHealth Group Inc, Anthem Inc and
Aetna Inc, that he was directing Health and Human Services Secretary Tom
Price to work with them "to ensure a smooth transition to the new plan."
The administration recently granted the insurers one of their biggest
requests and proposed a rule that would tighten eligibility verification
for subsidized plans and allow them to seek unpaid premiums.
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The federal government forms for applying for health coverage are
seen at a rally held by supporters of the Affordable Care Act,
widely referred to as "Obamacare", outside the Jackson-Hinds
Comprehensive Health Center in Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. on October
4, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File Photo
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GOVERNORS MEETING
Trump is also seeking support from the nation's governors for
changes. The Obamacare law, which extended health insurance to 20
million Americans, has been popular in many states, even those
controlled by Republicans. But it has also been criticized for its
steep premium increases.
At a meeting with Trump and governors on Sunday, Price said he
expected to have a new healthcare plan in three to four weeks, to
which Trump responded he hoped to see a plan in two weeks, said
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said many conversations during this
weekend's meeting of the National Governors Association centered on
Medicaid, the massive government health insurance program for the
poor, and how to ensure those who received coverage under the
Medicaid expansion could maintain coverage.
Trump said on Monday that he wanted to win support from Democrats
for the plan. McAuliffe, a Democrat, said it would be "disastrous"
for Republicans to repeal Obamacare without a proper replacement.
"The political rhetoric of the campaign has hit the reality of
governing," he said.
(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan in Washington; Editing by
Cynthia Osterman)
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