Thursday, October 12, 2017

[U] Another “Nothing Burger”: Trump's Dubious (MEWA?) Exec. Order -- On Obamacare...


We now know he's signed it -- but until we can actually read a copy of it, in full, we cannot say for certain that it violates existing federal law.

However, I strongly suspect it does, based on what he "says" it does. 45 has lied anew. It does almost nothing he claims it does.

UPDATED @ 3:30 PM EDT — I’ve now read it. It’s aspirational only. A nothing burger — to wit:

“...Sec. 2. Expanded Access to Association Health Plans. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall consider proposing regulations or revising guidance, consistent with law, to expand access to health coverage by allowing more employers to form AHPs. To the extent permitted by law and supported by sound policy, the Secretary should consider expanding the conditions that satisfy the commonality‑of-interest requirements under current Department of Labor advisory opinions interpreting the definition of an "employer" under section 3(5) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The Secretary of Labor should also consider ways to promote AHP formation. . . .

[End, update.]

More very soon whenever 45 decides to stop being so opaque. [Under Mr. Obama, executive orders were posted to the web as he signed them.] Not so, with the adult day care center, at 1600 Pennsylvania.

And so, until then -- a graphic. If All it is is an aspirational MEWA authorization, it is meaningless -- like almost everything else he has written on health care. And it will not affect November 2017 enrollment periods, in any event. But now we wait for the adult day care center to declare a recess, and let us inspect and analyze. . . his scribbles. Out, for now.

नमस्ते

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

But now he's going to cut off the subsidies....https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-obamacare-payments-insurers_us_59e01859e4b03a7be57f71a9?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

condor said...

Thanks Anon. — 45 seems to want the health care insurance lobby to eviscerate his administration, the moderate GOP congressional leaders to denounce him — and thwart his agenda (such as it is), and the NY AG... to sue him, thus:

“...New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Thursday night that a “coalition” of states “stands ready to sue” if the payments are cut off....”

That is where this will be halted — in the federal courts. The holdover suit on the funding for these payments has been stayed in federal court since July. If 45 takes a definitive action to end them, a federal judge will enjoin that attempt until the suit can be heard on the merits.

The payments per year are only $9 billion.

Less than it will cost to keep Mr. Trump’s various family members under the watchful eye of the secret service for the full four years, and five after.

It is childish bully games. And he will lose...

Namaste — and happy Friday!