New Biden health care orders begin to unspool Trump policies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is taking his first steps to reverse Trump administration health care policies. The White House says Biden on Thursday plans to sign directives on a range of issues including getting more Americans covered. Biden wants to remove curbs on abortion counseling and work requirements for low-income people getting Medicaid. The most concrete short-term impact will come from reopening HealthCare.gov insurance markets as coverage has shrunk amid economic turmoil due to the coronavirus pandemic. A special sign-up period for coverage will run Feb. 15 through May 15. Biden also is directing health officials to weigh repealing a Trump rule that barred federally funded family planning clinics from referring women for abortions.