BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a multistate effort to oppose proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would make it more difficult and expensive for individuals to obtain health insurance. The proposed changes, put forth by the Trump administration, could lead to millions of Americans losing their health coverage and threaten access to essential health benefits, the group alleges.
They say one of the most significant changes would bar DACA recipients, individuals brought to the U.S. as children and granted deferred action status, from purchasing health insurance on ACA exchanges. Currently, a rule finalized in 2024 allows DACA recipients to access affordable health insurance through these marketplaces. However, the Trump administration is attempting to undo this rule, which would deny DACA recipients access to insurance, even in the middle of the year, when they are counting on this insurance for their medical care.
“The Trump Administration’s proposals would make healthcare more expensive, limit Marylanders’ access to plans that cover essential medical services, and cause millions of people to lose their health coverage altogether,” said Attorney General Brown. He emphasized that all Marylanders, regardless of immigration status or gender identity, should have access to affordable healthcare.
The proposed regulations would also shorten open enrollment periods for state ACA exchanges and allow insurance companies to deny enrollment to individuals who have ever missed a premium payment, regardless of the reason or how long ago. Furthermore, insurers would not be required to notify consumers of this policy, potentially leaving individuals unaware of the denial reason. This change is concerning given that the federal government previously recognized that nonpayment could be due to a variety of factors and that insurers currently have sufficient methods to collect past-due payments.
Attorney General Brown joined 21 other attorneys general in signing a comment letter (PDF) expressing their concerns about the proposed ACA changes. The attorneys general argue that these changes would undermine the ACA’s goal of providing accessible and affordable health insurance to Americans. They warn that the proposed regulations could lead to between 750,000 and two million Americans losing their health coverage in 2026 and place a significant financial burden on states due to increased reliance on emergency room care.
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
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