The Department of Labor on Thursday released proposed rules that would allow workers to band together to purchase health insurance, bypassing certain protections put in place by the Affordable Care Act.
The rule comes in response to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in October, which directed the government to allow alternative health plans that don't meet the requirements set by the ACA.
"The goal of the rulemaking is to expand access to affordable health coverage, especially among small employers and self-employed individuals, by removing undue restrictions on the establishment and maintenance of association health plans," the proposal reads.
"I applaud the administration for its action today, and I look forward to the finalization of the proposed rule. Conservative health care reform is alive and well, and I will keep working with President Trump to build on this progress," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said in a statement Thursday.
However, some state officials were less optimistic about improvements under the proposed rule.
"Generally speaking, these types of plans are exempt from state law and outside my jurisdiction," Pennsylvania's acting insurance commissioner, Jessica Altman, said in a recent interview, according to ABC News.
"That means any issues that consumers have, I won't be able to help them. More and more people would fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, and I think state regulators would say we really do it better."
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