With Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare stalled, President Donald Trump issued a new executive order on Thursday that could undermine the law without Congress.
"Seven years ago, congressional Democrats broke the American healthcare system by forcing the Obamacare nightmare onto the American people. And it has been a nightmare," Trump said at the White House, adding that the order represented the first step "to providing millions of Americans with Obamacare relief."
Experts say it has the potential to upend the current health care system for small business and individuals by opening up cheaper options for some customers, while spiking costs for others and encouraging more insurers to flee Obamacare’s exchanges.
"Healthier consumers will likely be able to enroll in plans with lower insurance rates, while more medically complex consumers may be subject to significant rate increases," Dave Dillon, a fellow at the Society of Actuaries, said in a statement.