Trump administration weighs health insurance 'stabilization'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Worried about the nearly 20 million people who buy their own health insurance policies, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are weighing how to stabilize a wobbly market, government and industry officials say.

The goal is to soothe jittery insurance companies that may bolt next year, while reassuring consumers anxious about the future.

Trump administration officials would not comment ahead of an expected Senate vote on confirming Georgia Rep. Tom Price as the new health secretary.

[...] a Republican congressional aide familiar with the internal discussions said the regulatory changes that the administration is considering include:

Insurers have complained that some people take advantage of such opportunities to get coverage when they need care and later drop out, raising costs for everyone else.

A White House regulatory website lists a health insurance market stabilization rule as "pending review."

Along with the administration, congressional Republicans would have a role to play in stabilizing the markets, by stepping back from several previous efforts to block "Obamacare" financing.

Democrats are putting Republicans on notice that they'll be blamed if people lose coverage or benefits such as protection from being denied insurance because of a medical problem.