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U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, criticized the Trump administration this week for proposing a rule that would allow Americans to buy short-term health insurance plans beyond the current three month limit -- a policy which he and other Democrats argued would undercut parts of the Affordable Care Act. 

Neal, the House Ways and Means Committee's ranking member, joined U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, and Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey -- the top Democrats on the House Education and Workforce, and Energy and Commerce Committees respectively -- in voicing concerns about the impacts such a rule could have on health care access and insurance markets, if finalized.

The Democrats argued that the Trump administration's proposed rule would undermine consumer protections included in the controversial health care law, known as Obamacare, and could lead to higher premiums and instability in health insurance markets.

Neal, Scott and Pallone cast the proposal as "the latest step in (the administration's) ongoing efforts to sabotage our nation's health care system."

"Today's action will leave families on the hook for thousands of dollars in uncovered health care costs and allow insurers to once again discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions," they said in a joint Tuesday statement. "Widespread marketing of these bare bones, junk plans will further destabilize health insurance markets and will lead to higher premiums for everyone."

The Democrats contended that Americans "want access to high quality, affordable health insurance," and offered that it's time the Trump administration "stop its relentless and destructive campaign to sabotage the Affordable Care Act."

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and other administration officials, who issued the proposed rule Tuesday, however, have argued that expanding the availability of short-term, limited-duration health insurance will increase competition, choice and access to lower-cost health care options. 

Azar said the proposed rule would allow Americans to find coverage "that meets their needs."

"The status quo is failing too many Americans, who face skyrocketing costs and fewer and fewer choices," he said in a statement. "The Trump Administration is taking action so individuals and families have access to quality, affordable healthcare that works for them."

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, meanwhile, argued that "allowing short-term, limited-duration insurance to cover longer periods gives Americans options and could be the difference between someone getting coverage or going without coverage at all."

The proposed rule, which comes in response to President Donald Trump's October "Promoting Health Care Choice and Competition Across the United States" executive order, would allow Americans to purchase health insurance plans that provide coverage for any period less than 12 months, instead of the current maximum period of less than three months.

HHS said the proposal seeks to provide temporary coverage to individuals transitioning between health care plans, like those who are in between jobs or students taking a semester off from school. 

The Obama administration published a final rule in October 2016 that restricted short-term, limited-duration insurance to less than three months.

Officials, in looking to shorten the length of such plans, argued that some Americans were using them as their primary form of health coverage -- contrary to the intent of the 12-month coverage limitation. 

The Obama administration further noted that short-term, limited-duration insurance is exempt from some consumer protections and could have "significant limitations, such as lifetime and annual dollar limits on essential health benefits and pre-exisiting condition exclusions."

It also contended that such plans could adversely impact the risk pool for ACA-compliant coverage, as they may target healtheir individuals.

The Trump administration, however, offered that key stakeholders, such as state regulators, have raised concerns that the three-month limit could harm consumers and have little positive impact on risk pools in the long term.

The proposed rule, if finalized, would revert to the previous definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance, which allowed for coverage up to nearly 12 months, HHS noted.

The proposal comes just two months after Trump signed a wide-ranging tax overhaul bill, which included language to end the ACA tax penalty for those who fail to obtain health care coverage, known as the individual mandate.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the repeal, as proposed in the Senate's version of the tax plan, could lead to 13 million Americans not having health insurance by 2027 and a 10 percent rise in average premiums.