HHS Secretary Becerra Urges Trump Administration to 'Continue to Grow' the ACA

As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to break records in enrollment, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra has urged the Trump administration to "continue to grow" the landmark healthcare legislation. With 24.2 million consumers selecting plan year 2025 coverage through the Marketplaces during the 2025 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period, including 3.9 million new consumers, the ACA's growth has been nothing short of remarkable. But what specific actions can the Trump administration take to build on this momentum and ensure that more Americans have access to quality, affordable health care coverage?

First and foremost, the Trump administration must invest in marketing and outreach efforts to promote the ACA marketplaces. The Biden administration's investment in advertising and one-on-one enrollment helpers contributed significantly to the surge in enrollment. By continuing and even expanding these efforts, the Trump administration can increase awareness and encourage more people to sign up for coverage.

Streamlining the sign-up process is another critical action the Trump administration can take. The Biden administration made the sign-up process more user-friendly, which helped attract more enrollees. The Trump administration can build on these improvements to make the process even easier for consumers, ensuring that they have a seamless and stress-free experience when enrolling in coverage.

Funding the marketplaces fully is another key step the Trump administration can take to support the growth of the ACA. Ensuring that the marketplaces are fully funded will help maintain the stability and affordability of the plans offered, which can attract more enrollees and help stabilize the individual insurance market.

Maintaining the enhanced subsidies is another crucial action the Trump administration can take to ensure the continued growth of the ACA. The enhanced subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of 2025, have made premiums much more affordable for many people. By working with Congress to extend or make these subsidies permanent, the Trump administration can help maintain the growth of the ACA and ensure that more Americans have access to affordable coverage.

Promoting the benefits of the ACA is another important step the Trump administration can take to support the growth of the legislation. By highlighting the benefits of the ACA, such as the protection for people with pre-existing conditions and the availability of affordable coverage options, the Trump administration can increase public support for the law and encourage more people to enroll.

Expanding Medicaid in remaining states is another action the Trump administration can take to help more low-income individuals gain access to coverage. While most states have expanded their Medicaid programs under the ACA, there are still some holdout states. By working with these states to encourage them to expand Medicaid, the Trump administration can help provide coverage to more low-income individuals and reduce the uninsured rate.

Addressing the "family glitch" is another issue the Trump administration can tackle to help more families afford coverage. The "family glitch" is a provision in the ACA that can make it difficult for some families to qualify for subsidies. By working to address this issue, the Trump administration can help more families afford coverage and ensure that they have access to the care they need.

Promoting the use of Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) is another action the Trump administration can take to help more people enroll in coverage throughout the year. SEPs allow individuals to enroll in coverage outside of the open enrollment period due to certain life events, such as losing job-based coverage or getting married. By promoting the use of SEPs, the Trump administration can help more people enroll in coverage and ensure that they have access to the care they need.

In conclusion, the Trump administration has a unique opportunity to build on the remarkable growth of the Affordable Care Act and ensure that more Americans have access to quality, affordable health care coverage. By taking specific actions, such as investing in marketing and outreach, streamlining the sign-up process, funding the marketplaces fully, maintaining the enhanced subsidies, promoting the benefits of the ACA, expanding Medicaid in remaining states, addressing the "family glitch," and promoting the use of SEPs, the Trump administration can help the ACA continue to grow and provide coverage to more Americans.