Washington – President Biden on Thursday signed a series of health-related guidelines that he described as reversing “the damage” done by former President Donald Trump, which included taking steps to rescind and fight anti-abortion rules.
“I’m not initiating any new laws, any new aspects of the law,” said Biden in brief comments in the Oval Office.
The president said he is “restoring the Affordable Care Act and restoring Medicaid to what it was before Trump became president, which by decree he changed, made it more inaccessible, more expensive and more difficult for people to qualify for either of these two items. “
Biden’s executive order allows HealthCare.gov, the federal health insurance market, to have a special enrollment period from February 15 to May 15, which will give Americans more time to apply for health insurance coverage . The order also directs federal agencies to review rules and policies to ensure that they do not prevent Americans from accessing health care, such as those that can reduce the accessibility of health coverage or undermine the Affordable Care Act protections for people with illness. pre-existing.
Evan Vucci / AP
Biden also issued a presidential memorandum that undoes Mexico City’s policy, known as the global gag rule, which prohibits the flow of US dollars to international non-governmental organizations that perform abortions, advocate legalizing and expanding access to abortion, or provide counseling. about abortion.
The rule dates back to 1984, under President Ronald Reagan, but was repealed and reinstated by the Democratic and Republican governments, respectively. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama rescinded the policy, while Trump reformed and expanded it.
Biden’s memo also instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to review the possible dismantling of a similar policy in the United States that prohibits Title X money from going to health centers that offer abortion services.
The president, who was vice president when Obamacare was enacted, pledged during his presidential campaign to protect and expand the 2010 health bill, as a group of Republican states and the Trump administration struggled to kill Obamacare in a pending Supreme Court case. Mr. Biden emphasized that the coronavirus pandemic emphasizes the need for access to healthcare.