Group of cities sues Trump administration over new changes to Obamacare enrollment and eligibility

A group of Democratic-led cities sued the Trump administration Tuesday over new changes to the Affordable Care Act that they say will undermine the sweeping health care law and result in nearly 2 million Americans losing health insurance.

A group of Democratic-led cities sued the Trump administration Tuesday over new changes to the Affordable Care Act that they say will undermine the sweeping health care law and result in nearly 2 million Americans losing health insurance. The rule, finalized on June 25, shortens the open enrollment period for Americans buying insurance on the marketplace and ends a monthly special enrollment period for people with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty line. It also introduces more preenrollment requirements, such as income verification checks. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimated last month between 725,000 and 1.8 million people could lose coverage due to the rule, but said the changes introduce new “safeguards” against improper enrollment and overspending. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Maryland, was brought by the cities of Chicago, Baltimore and Columbus, Ohio, as well as an association of doctors and a non-profit network of small businesses that rely on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. They allege that several parts of the new rule violate the ACA and other federal laws, and say the administration ran afoul of federal rulemaking procedures when it created the new policies, including by failing to respond to public comments submitted as the rule was being finalized. “Rather than reducing the cost of insurance for consumers, or increasing their enrollment rates and benefits, Defendants’ new policies will cause at least 1.8 million Americans to lose coverage on the ACA’s health insurance Exchanges in 2026 alone and will ultimately result in higher premiums in the long term and higher out-of-pocket costs for the remaining enrollees,” attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in the lawsuit.