Proposed Trump rule expected to increase ACA premiums

The Trump administration on Thursday announced proposed rule changes that would lead to a modest premium increase next year under the Affordable Care Act (Source: “Trump administration proposes higher ‘Obamacare’ premiums,” Associated Press, Jan. 17, 2019).

The administration said the proposal, which is expected to add a roughly 1 percent increase to premiums, is intended to improve the accuracy of a complex formula that affects what consumers pay for their premiums.

The latest details were in a 300-page proposed regulation released Thursday afternoon by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In the regulation, the administration estimated that the government would save about $900 million a year on subsidies, and that 100,000 consumers would drop their coverage.

The proposed regulation is open for public comment for 30 days.