Document Reveals The Plan To Gut The ACA

Jan. 11--A newly released internal document reveals the Trump administration's 10-step plan to gut Obamacare.

The document detailed the ways in which the Trump administration could undermine the Affordable Care Act through executive actions regardless of whether the legislation was repealed in Congress, Politico reported.

It outlined plans to cut back on the open enrollment period and remove the three-month grace period for people to pay their outstanding premiums.

It also called for states to determine the benchmark of essential health benefits and allow them to apply for waivers to sidestep certain requirements listed under the Affordable Care Act.

The document, which was used in a March 23 meeting between House speaker Paul Ryan, several Trump administration officials and members of the House Freedom Caucus, was obtained by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and shared with Politico on Wednesday.

Casey, who slammed the list as "sabotage," issued a report saying the document "details how the Administration plotted secretly behind closed doors with Congressional Republicans on regulatory changes to undermine the ACA."

The hard-right Freedom Caucus rejected the initial legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare on the grounds that it did not go far enough, and Ryan was forced to withdraw the legislation one day after the March 23 meeting.

The blueprint shows the administration developed an extensive plan to undermine the law, despite the seemingly haphazard and chaotic push to repeal and replace the healthcare law.

The Republican push to repeal and replace Obamacare has failed in Congress, although many of the executive actions have already been implemented since March.

More than 8.7 million people signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act next year, reaching nearly 95% of last year's level despite a shortened sign-up season and significant cuts in the ad budget.

While Trump says he'll still try to repeal and replace "Obamacare," prospects in Congress appear dim with Republicans losing a Senate seat in Alabama. A bipartisan bill to shore up the health law's markets is also pending, but faces an uncertain outlook.

With News Wire Services

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