January 28, 2021
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1:42Now PlayingPresident Joe Biden moved to make it easier for Americans to buy health insurance during the pandemic, reopening the federal Obamacare marketplace with an order Thursday that’s a step toward reinvigorating a program his predecessor tried to eliminate.
Biden issued another order Thursday to immediately rescind the so-called Mexico City Policy, which prohibits international non-profits from receiving U.S. funding if they provide abortion counseling or referrals.
The president said the orders aimed “to undo the damage” from Donald Trump’s administration.
“There’s nothing new we’re doing here other than restoring the Affordable Care Act and restoring the Medicaid to the way it was before Trump became president, which by fiat he made more inaccessible, more expensive and more difficult for people to qualify for either of those two items,” Biden said.
The Obamacare executive order creates a special enrollment period for plans sold in the federal Healthcare.gov market from Feb. 15 to May 15, offering a path to health care for people who’ve found themselves without insurance coverage after losing their jobs. The order also directs agencies to look for ways to strengthen Medicaid, the federal health program for low-income people, and the Affordable Care Act more broadly.
“I’m not initiating any new law, any new aspect of the law,” Biden said.
Shares of health insurers and hospitals rose following the announcement, with Anthem Inc., Cigna Corp., and Centene Corp. up more than 3% at 2:00 p.m. in New York, out-pacing the broader market.
The long-expected executive orders build on more than two dozen Biden already has signed during his first week in office.
“As we continue to battle Covid-19, it is even more critical that Americans have meaningful access to affordable care,” the White House said in a statement. “Reliable and affordable access to health insurance doesn’t just benefit families’ health; it is a critical source of economic security and peace of mind for all.”
Democrats, the health insurance industry and advocates for the Affordable Care Act had repeatedly asked the Trump administration over the past several months to reopen HealthCare.gov enrollment, which is typically restricted to a few weeks in the fall. They were refused.
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