President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on health care, which allows individuals to buy a type of health insurance that costs less and does not comply with regulations put in place by the Affordable Care Act.
Trump and administration officials say that this type of health insurance, called "association health plans," will lead to increased competition, which will lower insurance premiums.
When he signed the order, Trump said he was "taking the first steps to providing millions of Americans with Obamacare relief."
Critics say it would increase the cost of insurance for the sick and the less expensive coverage for the healthy would not be comprehensive enough.
According to the Associated Press, administration officials said that the changes outlined in the order might take months, or longer, to carry out, and that Trump still thinks Congress must repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
Trump signed the order Thursday morning in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. The move is likely to draw criticism from medical associations, consumer protection groups, and insurers, according to the Associated Press.
