President Biden is taking executive steps to enhance former President Barack Obama’s legacy in health care. In addition, the Biden Administration has repealed a ban that prevented international nonprofit organizations that provide abortion counseling or referrals from receiving federal funding to protect abortion access in the United States and overseas.
Biden will sign an executive order on Thursday (Jan. 28) directing the Department of Health and Human Services to reopen the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges through the HealthCare.gov website. The order provides additional Time for people in 36 states who lost health insurance coverage during the coronavirus pandemic to apply.
In a press release, the White House said the policy provides for a regular application period through Healthcare.gov that is usually the last six weeks of the year. After the initial period ends in December, the additional special application period lasts from Feb. 15 to May 15.
“For President Biden, this is for everyone,” the statement said, “and he believes that every American enjoys the right to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing they have access to affordable, quality health care.”
The new order, a Biden administration expenditure, is designed to strengthen Obamacare, Medicare and reproductive health care services to counter a “four-year attempt” by the Trump administration and Republicans to repeal Obamacare and “strip health care from millions of Americans.
Former President Donald Trump promised to scrap the ACA (also known as Obamacare) during his 2016 campaign. During his time in office, the Trump Administration cut funding for the ACA’s marketplace enrollment period and offered help to those struggling to understand the system. His team also joined states in challenging the constitutionality of the ACA in front of the Supreme Court. But in blocking the ACA, Trump has never been able to repeal and completely replace the law.
As part of the focus of Thursday’s health care proposal, Biden will also sign a presidential memorandum to protect abortion access in the United States and abroad.
With the new bill, Biden will repeal the Mexico City Policy, which prevents international nonprofit organizations that provide abortion counseling or referrals from receiving federal funding. The new act also requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review its Title X Family planning regulations.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki mentioned the move in a briefing last week.
Psaki said, “We’re going to have a lot more to say on the Mexico City policy in the next few days. But I’m just taking this opportunity to remind everyone that he (Biden) is a devout Catholic and attends church regularly.”
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