The Trump Administration unexpectedly suspended risk adjustment payments to Exchange plans after conflicting court decisions about the payment methodology. Experts say that the Administration doesn’t need to suspend the payments (only re-evaluate the methodology) and is reacting in an unnecessarily slow and disruptive way. Originally one of three risk mitigation strategies set out in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), risk adjustment has been the only remaining strategy to address risk variation between insurers. It requires insurers with low-risk patients to (essentially) make payments to insurers with high-risk patients; $10.4 billion in payments are currently at stake from 2017. Payments may be restored but potentially after insurers react. America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) says the decision “will create more market uncertainty and increase premiums for many health plans—putting a heavier burden on small businesses and consumers, and reducing coverage options. And costs for taxpayers will rise as the federal government spends more on premium subsidies.”