In a column for CNN, Alex Azar, the Washington Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), has written about the need to help reduce the costs of health insurance for individuals. To this end, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury have released a proposal looking towards extending the availability of short-term individualized health insurance plans. This is a move to tackle the rising individual market premiums that occurred under Obamacare, with states using healthcare.gov seeing premiums increase up to 105 percent. The HHS secretary argues that the regulation and standardization of these health plans has seen the plans only taken up by those who are sick or who may become sick soon. As a result, he believes that readily available short-term plans would be affordable to those unable to access traditional medical coverage. These plans were curtailed during the final year of the Obama Administration, with the prohibition of any plan that would last longer than three months. In contrast, the Whitehouse would permit the purchase of plans that last for up to 12 months. Alongside the repeal of the individual mandate tax, Alex Azar argues that will benefit millions of middle-class families who cannot otherwise afford Obamacare plans. This represents a significant part of a broad push by the Trump Administration and the HHS to ensure a more competitive and affordable insurance market.
In a column for CNN, Alex Azar, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), has written about the need to help reduce the costs of health insurance for individuals. To this end, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury have released a proposal looking towards extending the availability of short-term individualized health insurance plans. This is a move to tackle the rising individual market premiums that occurred under Obamacare, with states using healthcare.gov seeing premiums increase up to 105 percent. The HHS secretary argues that the regulation and standardization of these health plans has seen the plans only taken up by those who are sick or who may become sick soon. As a result, he believes that readily available short-term plans would be affordable to those unable to access traditional medical coverage. These plans were curtailed during the final year of the Obama Administration, with the prohibition of any plan that would last longer than three months. In contrast, the Whitehouse would permit the purchase of plans that last for up to 12 months. Alongside the repeal of the individual mandate tax, Alex Azar argues that will benefit millions of middle-class families who cannot otherwise afford Obamacare plans. This represents a significant part of a broad push by the Trump Administration and the HHS to ensure a more competitive and affordable insurance market.