New Biden health care orders begin to unspool Trump policies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to take his first steps to reverse Trump administration health care policies. The White House said Biden plans on Thursday to sign orders on a range of issues including getting more Americans covered and removing curbs on abortion counseling.

The most concrete short-term impact will come from Biden reopening HealthCare.gov insurance markets as coverage has shrunk in the economic turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic. Created under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, also called “Obamacare,” the marketplaces offer taxpayer-subsidized coverage regardless of a person's medical history, or preexisting conditions, including COVID-19.

That new three-month “special enrollment period” could begin as soon as Feb. 15, according to a White House summary.

Biden will also immediately reverse a federal policy that bars taxpayer funding for international health care nonprofits offering abortion counseling or referrals. Known as the Mexico City Policy, it can get switched on and off depending on whether Democrats or Republicans control the White House.

Other directives Biden plans to issue Thursday could take months to carry out. Among them, he'll instruct the Department of Health and Human Services to:

— Consider whether to rescind Trump regulations that bar federally funded family planning clinics from referring women for abortions. The ban on referrals led to Planned Parenthood clinics leaving the program.

— Reexamine a Trump administration policy that allows states to impose work requirements as a condition for low-income people to get Medicaid health insurance. Work requirements have been blocked by federal judges, and the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the issue.

— Review policies that could undermine protections for...