The White House confirmed Thursday that it will stop making federal payments for cost-sharing reductions, payments to health insurers. The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the cutoff would be immediate. This action could throw the Marketplace into immediate turmoil as insurers start to evaluate their options for 2018.

Many, certainly democrats, have been calling for a bi-partisan solution to the health care problems in America. However, let’s not forget, it was the democrats that ramrodded the misnamed Affordable Health Care Act through the legislative process, behind closed doors, with absolutely no input from republicans.

Employee Benefit Advisors has blogged several times about legal challenges to the ACA, specifically pin pointing, the Obama administration saying they did not receive, but needed, an appropriation to make these payments to insurance companies. Obama used executive orders to put into place key finance regulations behind the ACA. Problem is, what can be done by executive order can be undone by executive order.

 

Employee Benefit Advisors provides employee benefits, tax-advantaged healthcare, compliance guidance for ACA and Health & Welfare DOL Audits, and PEO Advisory & Consulting Services.