President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can only be renewed for a maximum of four months, instead of up to the three years that were allowed under Biden's predecessor, Republican Donald Trump.
Consumers would later be surprised to learn when they tried to use the insurance that their benefits were capped or certain coverages were not provided. Tanden said Trump and other Republican-elected officials undermined the Affordable Care Act by allowing insurance companies to exploit loopholes and sell short-term plans that often leave consumers surprised when confronted by thousands of dollars in medical bills. The ACA was signed into law in 2010 by President Barack Obama.