Ranking Member Cassidy Rebukes New Biden Rule Restricting Health Coverage Options, Increasing Costs for Americans

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, rebuked the Biden administration’s final rule restricting access to short-term insurance coverage, increasing the cost Americans pay for health care.  

“This new rule is what people hated most about Obamacare, taking away their choices and forcing Americans into a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Dr. Cassidy. “In this case, the requirement will be to go from something cheaper to something more expensive. Americans want affordability.” 

Short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans offer health insurance coverage for periods of time when an individual changes jobs, transitions off of a plan offered by their college, or is in a waiting period before starting other health insurance coverage. In 2018, the Trump administration issued a rule increasing the duration a person could access short-term health plans for up to 36 months. Biden’s new policy repeals the Trump-era policy and limits the period a person can access short-term insurance to a maximum of four months, forcing Americans to pay more for expensive health insurance in the commercial market that they may not need. When restrictions were previously implemented under the Obama administration, there were reports of patients being unable to obtain additional coverage after their short-term insurance expired and, in some cases, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. 

Previously, Cassidy and U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) raised serious concerns that the proposed regulation will dramatically increase health care costs for Americans and limit their ability to choose the health insurance that best fits their needs.  

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