Ahead of President Biden signing executive orders today to increase access to affordable health care, coverage shows these actions are a repudiation of Trump and Republicans’ years-long war on health care. These are the first steps President Biden is taking to deliver on his promises to build on the Affordable Care Act by reopening HealthCare.gov for a special enrollment period to help people get coverage and removing barriers to enrolling in Medicaid, as Americans continue to face the coronavirus pandemic.
Politico: Biden Takes First Step Toward Bolstering Obamacare. “President Joe Biden is taking the first step toward rebuilding Obamacare, ushering in a new era for the health care law after a decade of Republican attacks. The Biden administration on Thursday announced it’s throwing open the doors to the law’s enrollment site, HealthCare.gov, making it easier for the uninsured to get coverage during the pandemic. It is also expected to restore Obamacare marketing funds that the Trump administration had gutted, and it will soon begin the process of reversing the previous administration’s changes seen as undermining the health law and Medicaid.” [Politico, 1/28/21]
CNN: Biden Will Sign Executive Order to Reopen Affordable Care Act Enrollment. “President Joe Biden will reopen enrollment on the federal Affordable Care Act exchanges on Thursday as part of a series of executive actions related to health care, taking a step to help uninsured Americans that former President Donald Trump rejected. It’s Biden’s first move toward delivering on his campaign promise to bolster the landmark health reform law that he championed as vice president. And it comes as more Americans could be facing the loss of coverage because of the pandemic-fueled economic downturn.” [CNN, 1/28/21]
The Hill: Biden to Take Action on ACA Marketplaces, Medicaid. “President Biden will direct federal agencies this week to reopen the ObamaCare marketplaces and roll back the Trump administration’s changes to Medicaid in a repudiation of his predecessor’s health care policies. Biden’s executive orders are expected to set the stage for his presidency by reinforcing his belief that the federal government should make it easier — not harder — for people to get health care.” [The Hill, 1/27/21]
Associated Press: Biden to Open ‘Obamacare’ Markets for COVID-19 Relief. “Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing coverage in the coronavirus pandemic. [Associated Press, 1/27/21]
New York Times: Biden Plans to Reopen Obamacare Exchanges in Many States. “The Biden administration plans to reopen enrollment in many of the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, both to help those who may have lost health insurance during the pandemic and to offer coverage to those who did not have any and now want it. The move will be announced on Thursday as part of an executive order describing administration policies on shoring up health insurance coverage, according to three people familiar with the details.” [New York Times, 1/27/21]
ABC News: Biden to Expand Affordable Care Act Enrollment Amid COVID-19 in New Executive Order. “President Joe Biden will tackle the issue of health care Thursday with two executive actions aimed at expanding enrollment for the Affordable Care Act amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing reproductive health, according to the White House. The actions continue a series of executive moves by Biden in his first week in office, setting an ambitious tone for his administration on a number of policy areas.” [ABC News, 1/28/21]
HuffPost: Biden Administration to Reopen Obamacare Enrollment, Start Undoing Trump Sabotage. “President Joe Biden on Thursday will announce a series of executive actions on health care, including one designed to boost health insurance enrollment through the Affordable Care Act and one designed to undo President Donald Trump’s attempts at undermining the law.” [HuffPost, 1/28/21]