The Administration has released a memo from last March that outlined how the Administration had and is implementing a strategy to undercut and weaken the ACA. The document was released after pressure by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) who blocked Administration nominations until the document was made public.
The document was used by then-HHS Secretary Tom Price in his March 2017 discussion with conservative House Republicans (House Freedom Caucus). It outlines ten strategies, many that have been now been implemented including narrowing the open enrollment period, making it more difficult to access special enrollments, giving states greater authority to limit the essential benefits package, greater waiver access for states, more restrictions on providers steering patients to the ACA plans instead of Medicaid-Medicare.
The intent of the memo was to outline restrictions that the HHS can take without congressional approval. It was offered up as an enticement to House members to back the Administration House repeal efforts back in March.
