Healthcare & Policy News
Reporting on health care policy, insurance coverage, and federal health programs. Includes news updates and conservative commentary from The Daily Signal.
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- Opinion
It Wasn’t a Tax Before It Was a Tax: Court Upholds Obamacare Individual Mandate
A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled against a challenge to Obamacare’s individual mandate based on the origination clause of the Constitution. The Supreme Court held in NFIB v. Sebelius (2012) that Obamacare’s individual mandate was constitutional because it was a tax. The Constitution also says tax legislation must originate in…Elizabeth Slattery -
- Opinion
Was This Obamacare Court Decision Judicial Activism?
Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. claims that last week’s D.C. Circuit decision striking down Obamacare subsidies for individuals enrolled in federally-run health care exchanges was “extreme judicial activism.” That’s a loaded term too often used by those who don’t like the outcome of a particular case. But judicial activism is not simply in the…Elizabeth Slattery -
- News
Obamacare Enrollment Numbers Reveal Decline in Employer-Based Coverage
New details about Obamacare insurance enrollment show that employer-based coverage is eroding, offsetting gains made in individual insurance enrollment, according to a report released today by The Heritage Foundation. While individual coverage grew by 2.2 million Americans during Obamacare’s first open enrollment period, employer group coverage—health plans offered through the workplace—fell by 1.7 million, said the…Marguerite Bowling -
- Opinion
Is Obamacare on Its Way Back to the Supreme Court?
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen: two different federal courts of appeal, issuing completely contradictory rulings on the very same day, on the very same issue. That’s what happened Tuesday. If nothing else, the dueling rulings should hasten the day when the next phase of litigation involving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
FDA Regulating Cigar Business Into Extinction
I’ll admit it. I enjoy an occasional cigar. So do a lot of other Americans. Some like to indulge in a pricier smoke, while others opt for a less-expensive brand. The ones made by the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. of Tampa, Fla., which retail for less than $10 apiece, fall into the latter category. J.C….Ed Feulner -
- Opinion
Obamacare Here to Stay? Ha!
This has not been a good week for President Obama: Obamacare is back on the front burners and back in trouble. This week, the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that another aspect of Obamacare is unconstitutional. In this case, an IRS rule (one of over 20 such executive orders related to Obamacare whereby the administration…Genevieve Wood -
- News
Democrat Introduces Bill to Eliminate Obamacare Subsidies for Congress
Looking to require U.S. lawmakers to “play by the same rules” with Obamacare, this week U.S. Rep. Daniel Maffei, D-N.Y., introduced legislation that would eliminate taxpayer-funded subsidies for members and their staffs to buy insurance on the health law’s insurance exchanges. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Reps. Ron Barber, D-Ariz., and John Barrow, D-Ga.,…Marguerite Bowling -
- Opinion
The Obamacare Employer Mandate Could Die in Some States
Tuesday’s D.C. Circuit and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rulings raise new doubts over the future of Obamacare. At the heart of these conflicting decisions is whether or not the Internal Revenue Service overstepped its authority in its interpretation of the Affordable Care Act. The statute clearly states that subsidies are available only through exchanges…Nina Owcharenko Schaefer -
- Opinion
Report: Fictional People Able to Sign Up for Obamacare, Get Subsidies
You don’t even have to be a real person to get Obamacare subsidies. That’s the takeaway from a report issued Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO created 12 imaginary identities, which were used by people who signed up for Obamacare Eleven of them succeeded in obtaining coverage—and received subsidies. “The total amount of…Katrina Trinko -
- News
One Year After Texas Enacted Abortion Law, Half of State’s Clinics Have Closed
In Texas, the stage is set for a sequel to last summer’s political drama, a battle that engulfed the state and brought abortion into the national spotlight. As pro-life groups celebrate the one-year anniversary of the state’s passage of abortion regulations, pro-choice groups are preparing to make up for lost ground in November. Since Gov….Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
Chart: The Number of Americans Who Remain Uninsured After Obamacare
After a full decade of Obamacare’s implementation, the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office (April 2014), estimate that after spending over $1.8 trillion on Obamacare provisions, in 2024, 31 million people will remain uninsured. The changes in insurance coverage due to the Affordable Care Act, compared to projections of what would have existed…Alyene Senger -
- News
Obamacare Official Gets Ethics Waiver as Former Company Faces Scrutiny
Andrew Slavitt, a former executive at the technology company tasked with saving HealthCare.gov and current second-in-command at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was granted an ethics waiver by the Department of Health and Human Services to begin working with his former company immediately. The waiver was granted despite Republican lawmakers’ concerns about Slavitt’s…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
This Circuit Court’s Obamacare Decision Could Have Huge Consequences
Today the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a blow to the Obama administration, ruling that the language of the Obamacare law only established federal subsidies for individuals enrolling in state-run health care exchanges, not for individuals enrolling in federal-run state-level health care exchanges. Since 36 states (the administration might deem it 27 states based…Elizabeth Slattery -
- News
Oklahoma Man Struggles to Cancel Health Plan for Three Months Due to Obamacare Delay
David Emanuel wanted to cancel his private insurance plan with BlueCross BlueShield after he became eligible for Medicare, but was told nothing could be done until HealthCare.gov consented to the change. The 65-year-old Oklahoma man spent three months entangled in bureaucracy. He shared his story with KJRH-TV in Tulsa, Okla., which was picked up by the Washington…Natalie Johnson -
- News
Mark Pryor Challenges Obamacare Critics: ‘Give Me Something Better’
Sen. Mark Pryor dismissed Arkansans’ grievances of losing health insurance because of Obamacare as “anecdotal,” accusing Republicans of solely wanting to complain about the law as opposed to offering a solution. The Arkansas Democrat told a local TV reporter Sunday that Republicans need to back their criticisms up with action. “Give me something better,” Pryor said. “Put…Natalie Johnson -
- News
This Bill Would Undo Medicare Home Health Cuts Under Obamacare
House Republicans propose to roll back major cuts in Medicare home health services, saying they want to help senior citizens and other Americans who face decreases in both care and jobs. A bill introduced yesterday by Reps. Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Tom Price, R-Ga., would repeal the Obamacare-inspired cuts of 14 percent imposed by then-Health and…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Temp Agency: Obamacare Is Causing Businesses to Hire Part-Time, Not Full-Time, Employees
Under pressure to comply with the Affordable Care Act, some South Carolina businesses are cutting back by hiring more part-time rather than full time employees. Although unemployment levels have dropped to pre-recession levels at 6.1 percent nationally, a staffing agency in South Carolina reports that this number may be skewed. Many employees have returned to…Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
Medicaid Expansion Magic
Recently, the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) released a report urging states to expand Medicaid. However, the claims in the report should be approached with caution. On the economic side of things, the CEA proposes states should expand in order to receive federal funds, which would supposedly create more jobs and thus more…Drew Gonshorowski -
- Opinion
It’s Not True that 20 Million Americans Gained Coverage Under Obamacare
A new report from the Commonwealth Fund claims 20 million Americans “gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act as of May 1.” But a closer look at that number reveals it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. First, the authors, Dr. David Blumenthal, president of Commonwealth, and Vice President Sara Collins, get to the…Alyene Senger -
- News
This Chart Shows How Many Obamacare Enrollees’ Self-Reported Citizenship Status Doesn’t Match Federal Data
According to a report released by the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month, “the online federal marketplace could not resolve nearly 90 percent (or 2.6 million) of its 2.9 million data ‘inconsistencies,’ which include citizenship status, income, incarceration status, and Social Security numbers,” as Marguerite Bowling reported last…John Fleming