By Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday reopened the nation's online health insurance marketplace for people who cannot obtain coverage through their employers, in a move he said was aimed at undoing "damage" done by his predecessor Donald Trump.
In an executive order, Biden restored access to healthcare.gov, allowing Americans to sign up for insurance through the government exchange from Feb. 15 to May 15, the White House said. The program is normally accessible for just six weeks a year.
Biden, who took office last week, also directed federal agencies to "re-examine" Trump-era policies like work requirements that made it more difficult for people to qualify for Medicaid, the government-run health insurance program for the poor.
The actions were the latest in a blizzard of moves by the new Democratic president to reverse the policies of the Republican Trump.
"Today I'm about to sign two executive orders - basically the best way to describe them - to undo the damage Trump has done," Biden said in the Oval Office.
Biden has vowed to shore up programs created under former President Barack Obama's sweeping 2010 Affordable Care Act, arguing that the changes are urgent because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 430,000 Americans.
Republicans have long opposed the healthcare restructuring law, criticizing the cost and quality of care as well as extensive government involvement in healthcare markets.
He also rescinded the "Mexico City Policy" that bans U.S. funding for international non-profit organizations that provide abortion counseling.