Nevada, other states sue Trump administration over new health insurance rule

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and Democratic officials in 20 other states filed a lawsuit challenging a new federal health insurance rule that tightens restrictions for enrolling in marketplace plans through the Affordable Care Act and bans coverage requirements for gender-affirming care.

The officials argue that the new rule could strip coverage from millions of Americans, drive up health care costs and harm state health systems.

“This administration’s rule would roll back years of progress in expanding health care access and threaten coverage for more than 100,000 Nevadans,” Ford said in a statement Monday. “As attorney general, I will not stand by while the Trump administration carries out these arbitrary barriers to deny our residents the affordable health care they depend on.”

The rule, set to take effect in August, shortens open enrollment windows, eliminates year-round enrollment for low-income Americans and adds verification requirements. It also prohibits states from including gender-affirming care in the ACA’s list of essential health benefits.

On its website, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says the rule “finalizes additional safeguards to protect consumers from improper enrollments and changes to their health care coverage, as well as establishes standards to ensure the integrity of the ACA Exchanges.”

The lawsuit, filed Thursday, was led by New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts. It also involves officials from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.