FILE PHOTO – 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… REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File Photo NEW YORK/WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed changes to the Obamacare individual insurance market that insurers welcomed as a good start but that raised the possibility of higher out-of-pocket cost for consumers. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have promised to scrap the 2010 healthcare law that is a key legacy of Democrat Barack Obama’s presidency. But they are struggling to agree on a replacement for the law, which extended health insurance to 20 million Americans. The proposed new rule, issued by a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sets out changes that are meant to shore up the system developed by Obama, and comes after Humana Inc (HUM.N) on Tuesday said it would pull out of this market in 2018. It is unclear which elements of Obamacare could survive in the Republicans’ replacement. The rule does not address changes that must be made by law, such as for Obamacare’s income-based subsidies. The changes would tighten enrollment processes and allow insurers to collect unpaid premium payments, making it tougher for people to move in and out of insurance plans. Insurers say “gaming the system” has created an unprofitable mix of healthy and sick customers. The Affordable Care Act aimed to…more detail
