Trump administration seeks to end HealthCare.gov enrollment for small companies

Modern Healthcare: The Trump administration on Monday proposed to allow small businesses to sign up for insurance coverage directly through an agent or broker rather than HealthCare.gov, citing their low enrollment in the federal marketplace.

The change, slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2018, allows small businesses to skip using the Affordable Care Act's Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, marketplaces, which have been used very little since their launch in 2013.

"Our goal is to reduce ACA burdens on consumers and small businesses and make it easier for them to purchase coverage," CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement Monday. "This new direction will help employers find affordable healthcare coverage for their employees and make the SHOP exchanges function more effectively."

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