Consumers, politics jolted by blow to ACA

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s abrupt move to cut off federal payments to insurers jolted America’s health care and political worlds Friday, threatening to boost premiums for millions and disrupt insurance markets.

The money goes to companies for lowering out-of-pocket costs such as co-payments and deductibles for low- and middle-income customers. It will cost about $7 billion this year and help more than 6 million people.

Ending the payments would affect insurers because former President Barack Obama’s law requires them to reduce their poorer customers’ costs. Carriers likely are to recoup the lost money by increasing 2018 premiums for people buying their own health insurance policies.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners estimates Trump’s move would produce a 12 percent to 15 percent upsurge in premiums, while the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office put the figure at 20 percent. That’s on top of premium increases from growing medical costs.

Experts say the political instability because of Trump’s effort to undermine the health care law also could prompt more insurers to leave markets.

“Congress, they forgot what their pledges were,” Trump told conservative activists at the Values Voter Summit, recalling GOP candidates’ repeated vows to repeal Obama’s law. “So we’re going a little different route. But you know what? In the end, it’s going to be just as effective, and maybe it will even be better.”

Nearly 20 states filed a lawsuit against Trump because of his decision to stop the payments.

Trump won’t pull out of Iran deal — for now

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday angrily accused Iran of violating the 2015 international nuclear accord, blaming the Iranians for a litany of sinister behavior and hitting their main military wing with anti-terror penalties. But he did not pull the U.S. out or re-impose sanctions.

He’s tossing the issue to Congress and the other world powers in the accord, telling lawmakers to toughen the law that governs U.S. participation and calling on the other parties to fix a series of deficiencies, including the scheduled expiration of key restrictions under “sunset provisions” that begin in 2025, as well as the omission of provisions on ballistic missile testing and terrorism.

Without the fixes, Trump warned he likely would pull the U.S. out and slap previously lifted sanctions back into place.

Trump faces a Sunday deadline to certify whether Iran is complying. That notification must take place every 90 days. Since taking office, he twice reluctantly certified that Iran is fulfilling its commitments. On Friday, he said he would not do so again.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country “will continue to stick to” the nuclear deal.

Consumers, politics jolted by blow to ACA

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s abrupt move to cut off federal payments to insurers jolted America’s health care and political worlds Friday, threatening to boost premiums for millions and disrupt insurance markets.

The money goes to companies for lowering out-of-pocket costs such as co-payments and deductibles for low- and middle-income customers. It will cost about $7 billion this year and help more than 6 million people.

Ending the payments would affect insurers because former President Barack Obama’s law requires them to reduce their poorer customers’ costs. Carriers likely are to recoup the lost money by increasing 2018 premiums for people buying their own health insurance policies.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners estimates Trump’s move would produce a 12 percent to 15 percent upsurge in premiums, while the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office put the figure at 20 percent. That’s on top of premium increases from growing medical costs.

Experts say the political instability because of Trump’s effort to undermine the health care law also could prompt more insurers to leave markets.

“Congress, they forgot what their pledges were,” Trump told conservative activists at the Values Voter Summit, recalling GOP candidates’ repeated vows to repeal Obama’s law. “So we’re going a little different route. But you know what? In the end, it’s going to be just as effective, and maybe it will even be better.”

Nearly 20 states filed a lawsuit against Trump because of his decision to stop the payments.

Trump won’t pull out of Iran deal — for now

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday angrily accused Iran of violating the 2015 international nuclear accord, blaming the Iranians for a litany of sinister behavior and hitting their main military wing with anti-terror penalties. But he did not pull the U.S. out or re-impose sanctions.

He’s tossing the issue to Congress and the other world powers in the accord, telling lawmakers to toughen the law that governs U.S. participation and calling on the other parties to fix a series of deficiencies, including the scheduled expiration of key restrictions under “sunset provisions” that begin in 2025, as well as the omission of provisions on ballistic missile testing and terrorism.

Without the fixes, Trump warned he likely would pull the U.S. out and slap previously lifted sanctions back into place.

Trump faces a Sunday deadline to certify whether Iran is complying. That notification must take place every 90 days. Since taking office, he twice reluctantly certified that Iran is fulfilling its commitments. On Friday, he said he would not do so again.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country “will continue to stick to” the nuclear deal.