Trump will end ObamaCare subsidy payments

[mystery-ak]

News
Trump will end ObamaCare subsidy payments

By Joe Tacopino

October 12, 2017 | 10:23pm | Updated

President Trump will halt subsidy payments to insurers who sell coverage under Obamacare — a move that would deal a critical blow to the program, the White House confirmed Thursday night.

“Based on guidance from the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that there is no appropriation for cost-sharing reduction payments to insurance companies under Obamacare,” the White House said in a statement.

more
http://nypost.com/2017/10/12/trump-plans-to-stop-obamacare-subsidy-payments/

[Right_in_Virginia]

Trump to halt 'massive' ObamaCare subsidies, legal fight likely
Fox News, Oct 13, 2017

<snip>

The decision is the latest effort in the president’s bid to ultimately “repeal and replace” what’s considered the signature legislation of his White House predecessor.

The White House said in a statement that the Department of Health and Human Services has determined there is no appropriation for so-called cost-sharing reduction payments to insurers under the ObamaCare law.

"We will discontinue these payments immediately," said acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan and Medicare administrator Seema Verma.


More:  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/10/13/trump-to-halt-obamacare-subsidies-legal-fight-likely.html

[Right_in_Virginia]

White House Says It Will End Key Obamacare Subsidies to Insurers
NBC News, Oct 13, 2017

The White House announced late Thursday that it would no longer reimburse insurers for lowering costs for customers under the Affordable Care Act, a decision Democrats condemned as "spiteful."

***

"Based on guidance from the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that there is no appropriation for cost-sharing reduction payments to insurance companies under Obamacare," the White House said in a statement.

"In light of this analysis, the Government cannot lawfully make the cost-sharing reduction payments,” the White House statement said.


More: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/white-house-says-it-will-end-key-obamacare-subsidies-insurers-n810321

[Right_in_Virginia]

 

Donald J. Trump
 ✔  ‎@realDonaldTrump 

The Democrats ObamaCare is imploding. Massive subsidy payments to their pet insurance companies has stopped. Dems should call me to fix!

5:36 AM - Oct 13, 2017 
 18,432 Replies   8,782  Retweets   37,946 likes 

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump · 4h4 hours ago 

ObamaCare is a broken mess. Piece by piece we will now begin the process of giving America the great HealthCare it deserves!

16,301 replies   8,383 retweets   39,323 likes 

[Right_in_Virginia]

Here's The Just Released Memo Giving Trump The Legal Go-Ahead To End Obamacare Payments
Buzzfeed News, Oct 13, 2017, Zoe Tillman

In an Oct. 11 letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Don Wright, Sessions acknowledged that the Justice Department under the Obama administration had defended the subsidies, known as cost-sharing reductions, in a court fight that is still pending.

But Sessions wrote that he had concluded that the "best interpretation" of the Affordable Care Act was that it required a specific congressional appropriation for the payments. So far, Congress has not explicitly signed off on that spending. Absent that, the payments are unlawful, Sessions said.

More:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/zoetillman/heres-the-just-released-jeff-sessions-memo-giving-trump-the?utm_term=.ftoWEWNBY#.vxjAVAZgr

[Right_in_Virginia]

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Plaintiff-Appellee
v.
ERIC D. HARGAN, Acting Secretary of Health
& Human Services, et al.,

Defendants-Appellants

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, et al.,
Intervenors for Appellants

NOTICE

The Executive Branch submits this notice to inform the Court that the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has directed that cost-sharing reduction payments be stopped because it has determined that those payments are not funded by the permanent appropriation for “refunding internal revenue collections,” 31 U.S.C. § 1324, or by any other appropriation. See Ex. A (Memorandum from HHS to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). The upcoming October 18 payment thus will not occur. The Executive Branch will confer with the other parties......

More:  https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4107925/10-13-17-US-Notice-CSRs.pdf

[Bigun]

So if I'm reading this correctly all the payments already made without the appropriate congressional appropriations were not legal!  What's the chances of us getting our money back?

[Right_in_Virginia]

So if I'm reading this correctly all the payments already made without the appropriate congressional appropriations were not legal!  What's the chances of us getting our money back?

The odds are between slim and none.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I'll give Trump due credit on this, he's doing more to end Obamacare than the ballsless Senate GOPers are doing.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I'll give Trump due credit on this, he's doing more to end Obamacare than the ballsless Senate GOPers are doing.

 :thumbsup3:

[Cyber Liberty]

So, when will the first lawsuit hit the courts, demanding he reinstate the payments that weren't appropriated?  It's sure to happen, you know.

[RoosGirl]

Does this include the subsidies that Congress receives?

[Cyber Liberty]

Does this include the subsidies that Congress receives?

I don't think it's been appropriated, so probably.  It will be very interesting to see how that works out, won't it?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Does this include the subsidies that Congress receives?

I thought Congress just got a generous health program?

[Cyber Liberty]

I thought Congress just got a generous health program?

The Congressmen and Senators, yes.  But their staffers get crap and have to go to exchanges, many in the most expensive places in the country.

[Bigun]

The Congressmen and Senators, yes.  But their staffers get crap and have to go to exchanges, many in the most expensive places in the country.

Yes! They have to go to exchanges but the choices they make are heavily subsidized by our checkbooks! AKA our tax money!

[bilo]

I'll give Trump due credit on this, he's doing more to end Obamacare than the ballsless Senate GOPers are doing.

I'm with you!

One thing that separates us from the mindless, leftist, fanatic's is we credit those who do something to return freedom to the individual regardless of prior disagreement with.

[bilo]

Does this include the subsidies that Congress receives?

No. They were able to get themselves designated as a small business and are separated from the obamacare individual exchanges.

[RoosGirl]

No. They were able to get themselves designated as a small business and are separated from the obamacare individual exchanges.

That's right.  Thank you for reminding me.  I had forgotten they are the largest small business in the world with about 6000 employees.  I guess that means they can start shopping across state lines for better deals.  I still thought they were receiving some subsidies that paid for about 75% of their coverage though?

[Cyber Liberty]

No. They were able to get themselves designated as a small business and are separated from the obamacare individual exchanges.

Yes, I recall now.  I remember some magical relief was granted by Obama.  I wonder if Trump has the rocks to undo that EO that permits it?

[Free Vulcan]

I also like that he's doing this while relaxing all these restrictions that keep premiums so high, so while taking away the subisidy, he's shifting to the correct model that gives affordable free market alternatives.

Hated that subsidy anyway. It only masked the true cost but gave liberals something to crow about because they could say insurance was 'affordable.' All it really was, was a pork giveaway bribe to their Dem voting constiutents.

[Jazzhead]

This is of a piece with the President's promise to rescind the executive order regarding the Dreamers -  let Congress take responsibility for something that should be addressed by legislation, not executive order.    If Congress can't or won't act, then, by golly, maybe it just isn't really all that important. 

[Jazzhead]

I'll give Trump due credit on this, he's doing more to end Obamacare than the ballsless Senate GOPers are doing.

Congress doesn't lack balls, just a majority.   ACA reform was done in by the cynical position of total resistance taken by the Dems, and a mere handful of Republcan Senators who don't give a damn about party solidarity.   Rest assured - most Republicans - the vast majority of 'em in Congress - together with their leadership were willing and had the plan teed up to fix ObamaCare.   Put the blame where it belongs - on McCain, Paul and Collins, scoundrels all. 

[bilo]

That's right.  Thank you for reminding me.  I had forgotten they are the largest small business in the world with about 6000 employees.  I guess that means they can start shopping across state lines for better deals.  I still thought they were receiving some subsidies that paid for about 75% of their coverage though?

I think you're right about the subsidizes. I don't know how they do it, but I do know it's pretty sleazy how they find ways to exempt themselves from the consequences of the laws they pass and impose on us.

[bilo]

Yes, I recall now.  I remember some magical relief was granted by Obama.  I wonder if Trump has the rocks to undo that EO that permits it?

I hope that comes next. I think he's applying pressure bit by bit. The beauty of being able to join associations and get insurance across state lines is a lot of people will leave the obamacare individual market and it will become the high risk pool for people with pre-existing conditions. In the end this pool will need to be subsidized, but it should be subsidized by everyone not just those in the individual market.