United States : Biden signs executive actions on abortion policy, health care access

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President Biden on Thursday signed a series of health care-related directives he described as reversing the damage done by former President Donald Trump, which including taking action to rescind and target anti-abortion rules.

He said that he is not initiating any new law, any new aspect of the law. He is restoring the Affordable Care Act and restoring the Medicaid to the way it was before Trump became president, which by fiat he changed, made more inaccessible, more expensive and more difficult for people to qualify for either of those two items.

Mr. Biden's executive order allows for HealthCare.gov, the federal health insurance marketplace, to open for a special enrollment period from February 15 to May 15, which will allow Americans more time to sign up for health insurance coverage. The order also directs federal agencies to review rules and policies to ensure they do not hinder Americans' access to health care, such as those that may reduce affordability of health coverage or undermine the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Mr. Biden also issued a presidential memorandum unwinding the Mexico City Policy, known as the global gag rule, which prohibits U.S. dollars from flowing to international non-governmental organizations that provide abortions, advocate to legalize and expand abortion access, or provide abortion counseling.