Judge rejects bid to force Trump to resume Obamacare payments to insurers

A federal judge won't force the Trump administration to continue paying Obamacare insurers after he was skeptical about whether customers would be harmed by the abrupt cancellation.

The decision by a California federal court Wednesday means the payments will not be resumed while a lawsuit from 18 Democratic-led states is argued before the federal courts. The lawsuit from the attorneys general asked for an immediate injunction to keep the payments flowing. President Trump cut them off starting Oct. 18.

Federal Judge Vince Chabria said in the order that the emergency relief the states want could be counterproductive.

The cost-sharing reduction payments reimburse insurers for reducing out-of-pocket costs for low-income Obamacare enrollees.

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