if the appeals court approves the request, it would allow donald trump<u+2019>s new administration time to decide whether it wants to keep defending a pivotal part of obamacare as it plots out a strategy to repeal it. | getty by jennifer haberkorn 11/21/16 06:01 pm est the house of representatives on monday asked the federal court of appeals for the d.c. circuit to temporarily pause the house lawsuit challenging an obamacare subsidy program, a move that could allow the incoming trump administration to swiftly unwind the affordable care act's exchanges. if the court approves the request, it would allow donald trump<u+2019>s new administration time to decide whether it wants to keep defending a pivotal part of president barack obama<u+2019>s health care law as it plots out a strategy to repeal obamacare. story continued below the house argues that obamacare did not properly fund the health care law<u+2019>s payments to health insurance companies to help low-income people pay for their out-of-pocket health care costs. the obama administration argues that the subsidies were properly funded. if trump<u+2019>s justice department doesn<u+2019>t continue to defend obamacare, the subsidies mght be eliminated almost immediately. that<u+2019>s because the lower court had already sided with the house, ruling that the health care law didn<u+2019>t properly fund the subsidies. if the subsidies are gone, health insurance companies would be legally allowed to drop their obamacare health plans almost immediately. that could force millions off their health insurance and destabilize the obamacare exchange market early next year. presidential transition by kenneth p. vogel this scenario is essentially trump<u+2019>s nuclear option on obamacare. it would result in a tumultuous end to the obamacare exchanges within months of his inauguration. some in the gop who ardently oppose obamacare are cautiousabout such a scenario because people would be thrown off their health plans with little notice. trump hasn<u+2019>t made clear what his administration would do. <u+201c>in light of public statements by the president-elect and his campaign, there is at least a significant possibility of a meaningful change in policy in the new administration that could either obviate the need for resolution of this appeal or affect the nature and scope of the issues presented for review,<u+201d> the house lawyers wrote . the obama administration declined to join the house<u+2019>s request to delay the lawsuit. by thomas wright by bill scher by joshua zeitz by jack shafer
house asks court to pause obamacare lawsuit - politico
jennifer haberkorn kenneth p. vogel jack shafer