Medscape (8/1, Young, Subscription Publication) reports, “A coalition of health groups,” including the American Psychiatric Association (APA), “is continuing its legal challenge to the Trump administration’s policy that allows extended use of short-term medical insurance plans,” contending that such “‘junk’ plans put consumers at risk of being unable to afford care if they fall seriously ill, despite having purchased insurance.” On July 29, the coalition “filed an appeal to a July 19 ruling from Judge Richard Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia,” but the judge “found against arguments presented by…members of the coalition in a 2018 court filing.” The judge’s “ruling will put people with mental illness at risk, said APA president Bruce Schwartz, MD.” In a statement, Dr. Schwartz said, “These plans could be catastrophic for many Americans with mental illness or substance use disorders if these disorders are excluded from coverage.”
Related Links:
— “APA, Others Battle Trump Policy of Extended Use of ‘Junk’ Insurance, “Kerry Dooley Young, Medscape, August 01, 2019