5 Policies the US Has Rolled Back So Far in 2025 (and How It Affects Your Money)
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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The Donald Trump administration’s economic program has largely focused on tariffs and tax cuts, though there also has been an effort to get rid of policies from former President Joe Biden and previous administrations.
An analysis from the Brookings Institute lists more than 60 regulatory changes during the second Trump administration, covering everything from AI and healthcare to wages and cryptocurrency.
Here are five policies the U.S. has rolled back so far in 2025, and how your money is affected.
Affordable Care Act
Also known as Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a big reform target for the Trump administration. As the Brookings Institute noted, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in June proposed new rules that would change the enrollment period, add new verification requirements, eliminate certain recipients from receiving benefits, and roll back certain tax credits.
According to the Center for American Progress, these and other changes have increased costs for people with ACA marketplace coverage while also shrinking enrollment, which could impact how much money non-enrollees have to pay for healthcare.
Airline Refunds
In September the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rescinded a proposed Biden administration rule requiring cash refunds for delayed flights, the Arizona Republic reported. The DOT also got rid of a rule requiring the disclosure of baggage and other fees.
The changes were cheered by airline industry groups that oppose “unnecessary and burdensome regulations.” But groups representing passengers said the changes could further increase air travel costs that have already been on the rise.
“Major progress was made in the last couple years towards protecting passengers, and still has a long way to go to match passenger protections in other parts of the world,” Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of the passenger rights-focused claims management company AirHelp, told the Arizona Republic. “To revert back now will hinder the air travel experience and leave millions of travelers without adequate compensation in the event of a disruption.”
Prescription Drug Costs
In January, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden executive order intended to put a cap on out-of-pocket drug costs at pharmacies and lower the price of pharmaceutical products for Medicare beneficiaries, according to Brookings.
In its place, the HHS secretary was directed to “select payment models for specific drugs created by the Innovation Center to further test and implement, and submit a subsequent report describing a timeline for these actions within 90 days,” Brookings noted.
Supporters of the move said it “could further cap prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries, making essential medication more accessible.”
Medical Debt on Credit Reports
In July, a federal judge overturned a Biden administration policy that kept medical debt off of credit reports. As NPR reported, the Biden rule was designed to help “relieve the burden of health care expenses” affecting nearly one-third of Americans.
The July judicial ruling was seen as a “major blow” to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has opposed using medical debt as a metric of credit worthiness. It also could make it harder for some Americans to obtain credit if their credit reports include a lot of medical debt.
Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors
In March, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 an hour, or $10.50 for tipped workers, from $10.95 or $7.65 previously. The order already faced lawsuits before it was rescinded and is still being litigated, according to the Brookings Institute.
If the Trump change sticks, it likely means federal contractors will see less income than they would have otherwise.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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