What we're experiencing now in Washington, D.C., doesn't happen often. Seldom does the arrival of a new Congress and Administration raise the prospect of widespread, broad and rapid changes in public policy. As President Trump gets accustomed to his new digs at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and the Republican majority in Congress prepares its proposals, a real chance exists for significant change.

This kind of singular political alignment, where one party controls both the executive and legislative branches of government, occurs infrequently in modern times and is usually short-lived. Still, we are in for some significant changes. Let's look at a few that touch on insurance.

Health care

One of Donald Trump's main campaign pledges was to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare. Republicans in Congress are fully supportive of getting rid of the ACA. But since the election, there have been indications that doing so may not be something that can be done quickly.

In the week before the presidential inauguration, signs began to appear that changes in healthcare may be more complicated than some thought. Although the GOP in the House voted more than 40 times to repeal the ACA, their plan to replace it is still being developed. President Trump promised that repeal and replacement will happen either simultaneously or in quick succession. He also said he would try to keep Obamacare's provisions barring pre-existing condition exclusions and allowing adult children to stay on their parents' plans until the age of 26. Some Republicans are now advocating for having a replacement plan done before acting on repeal.