President Joe Biden is poised to take health coverage away from millions of people, per a new report. His administration is deriding these plans as “junk” because they are free from federal mandates for what insurance must cover and free from restrictions on how insurance must be priced. The reality: These plans, dubbed short-term plans, are not subject to Obamacare rules and are thus much more affordable and flexible for families.
In 2018, the Trump administration permitted people to have a short-term plan for up to 36 months, subject to state regulations. This new rule saved families money on health insurance, increased access to health care, and reduced the number of the uninsured. It also did not harm the Obamacare markets. Reports suggest that the Biden administration will reverse this progress and restrict short-term plans to just a three-month duration.
Doing this will reduce the benefit families receive from short-term plans, harm people who get sick and increase the number of people without health insurance.
