President Trump Issues Healthcare Executive Order

On October 12, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13813 titled “Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition Across the United States.” The Order establishes a policy of the executive branch to facilitate insurance purchases across state lines and to develop a healthcare system that provides affordable, high-quality care. To meet these objectives, the Order establishes three goals:

1. Expanding the availability of association health plans (AHPs), short-term limited-duration insurance (STLDI), and health reimbursement arrangements (HRA);
2. Injecting competition into healthcare markets by lowering barriers to entry and preventing abuses of market power; and
3. Improving access to and quality of information about healthcare so that consumers can make informed decisions.

As a result of this Executive Order, in the next 60-120 days, Federal Agencies must consider proposing revised regulations to increase access to AHPs, STLDIs, and HRAs. This may result in more health coverage options for employers offering health coverage to their employees. AHPs allow small businesses to purchase insurance as a group, and HRAs promote more flexibility by providing insurers with their own health care accounts. Until relevant agencies begin to draft regulations pursuant to this Order, it is unclear what impact this may have on State and Federal Legislation, as well as businesses and individuals that purchase insurance. Sign up to recieve the most up-to-date regulatory and legislative information about specialty imaging.