Century Foundation Fellow: Will Trump’s ACA Order Reduce Burden or Shift It to Patients?
In an executive order signed on his first day in office, President Trump stated his support for a “prompt repeal” of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
This alone is noteworthy: the days of rhetorical differences between the president and his congressional allies appear over. That said, this executive order itself does not change policy (it only directs subsequent policy actions), and no executive order can repeal a law.
The executive action cannot, for example, set lower deductibles for Americans, or rescind taxes on the health industry; such changes require legislation. It can, however, shift the balance of protections and responsibilities within the law – potentially, at the cost of people who need health care...