Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen.
The Washington Post is reporting that President Trump told federal officials to deny Iowa’s request to stabilize the individual health insurance market.
The Washington Post reports Trump became outraged after he read a Wall Street Journal account of what has become called the state’s “stop gap” plan. It’s an attempt to help up to 72,000 Iowans buy individual insurance policies for 2018 through the Affordable Care Act exchange. Trump reportedly directed the federal agency in charge of reviewing the state’s request to tell Iowa no.
Iowa officials say there’s been no denial delivered. The only notice they’ve gotten is that Iowa’s waiver request has been “deemed….complete.” That triggered a required public comment period that ends October 19.