Healthcare & Policy News
Reporting on health care policy, insurance coverage, and federal health programs. Includes news updates and conservative commentary from The Daily Signal.
-
news
New Legislation Could Open Up Health Care Options After an Obamacare Repeal
Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., has introduced a bill in the House that, if passed, will allow individuals to decide how they want their health care funds to be spent, without the influence of the government or health insurance providers. Brat said that the health savings account legislation is a way for lawmakers to prove to… -
news
While Senate Democrats Attack Trump’s HHS Pick Over Health Care Stock, These Democrats Hold It Too
At least three Democratic senators own significant health care industry stocks that could undermine their Senate leadership’s push against the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee as secretary of health and human services, The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group has learned. Price, a Georgia Republican, has been harshly criticized by Democrats… -
opinion
Don’t Let the Media Confuse You: Obamacare Is a Policy Failure
Leave it to the media, which spent the latter half of 2016 highlighting how outrageously expensive Obamacare premiums were becoming, to suddenly shift gears in 2017 and stress the health law’s many “pluses.” Such was the case in a recent interview with Heritage President Jim DeMint, in which CNN anchor Carol Costello suggested that lawmakers… -
news
The Obamacare Executive Orders Trump Could Issue on Day One
President-elect Donald Trump may be following President Barack Obama’s lead come Jan. 20, using executive orders to roll back parts of the outgoing president’s signature health care law. During a meeting with Republicans on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said the president-elect plans to kick off his administration by signing executive orders to begin… -
news
Cruz, Lee, Rubio Call on Senate Leaders to Repeal ‘as Many Provisions of Obamacare as Possible’
Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, and Marco Rubio of Florida are reaffirming their support for repealing Obamacare using reconciliation this year, but are calling on Senate leaders to craft a bill that goes further than previous legislation passed in 2015. “The American people have given Republicans an historic opportunity to… -
opinion
Obamacare Repeal Must Be on Day One: Congress Has No Excuses
In less than three weeks’ time, when Donald Trump becomes our next president, he will take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. It is fitting, then, that Trump has committed to repealing and replacing one of his predecessor’s most infamous unconstitutional policies, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare…. -
news
Texas Looks to Bury Aborted Babies Despite Legal Objections From Abortion Groups
A new set of rules in Texas requiring aborted babies to be cremated or buried has prompted a legal battle in the Lone Star State. Pro-abortion groups are attempting to halt the law with a lawsuit, and its implementation has now been delayed by a court order. The abortion burial measure, which would also apply… -
opinion
7 Years on, Obamacare Is Less Pro-Life Than Anything We Were Told
Open enrollment for Obamacare plans is well under way, having started Nov. 1 and running through Jan. 31, 2017. Not only is Obamacare proving unaffordable to millions of Americans—it is proving unconscionable for pro-life Americans who don’t want to pay for health care plans that cover abortion on demand or lack transparency about such coverage…. -
opinion
Fearmongering Harry Reid Is Spewing Lies About Obamacare
Democrats have lied about Obamacare from the beginning, but outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., apparently intends to tell the biggest lie of all as he exits the Washington scene. In an interview about whether Republicans in Congress would make good on their promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Reid said, “You… -
news
Conservatives Split From GOP Leaders Over Timing of Obamacare Repeal
GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill are committed to using a budget tool called reconciliation to send a bill repealing Obamacare to President-elect Donald Trump’s desk. Though Republicans are settled on getting rid of the Affordable Care Act, fault lines have emerged between GOP lawmakers who disagree on when exactly the health care law should be… -
opinion
Obamacare May Soon Be Over. Here’s What Americans Have Thought of the Law Since 2010.
In the midst of open enrollment for Obamacare, there is plenty of bad news for health law supporters, from skyrocketing premium rates to diminished insurer participation. Public opinion remains steadily opposed to the law. While some tracking polls try to highlight satisfaction with individual components of the law, Obamacare as a whole has largely been… -
opinion
Did Obamacare Really Insure 20 Million?
One of the most frequently heard claims from the Obama administration is that Obamacare is responsible for insuring 20 million adults who were previously uninsured. But Heritage Foundation research shows the administration’s figure is off by a few million. The Department of Health and Human Services claims that 20 million people have gained health coverage… -
news
How States Can Shape Obamacare’s Replacement
As Republicans prepare to hammer out the details of a replacement for Obamacare, governors and state insurance commissioners are asking for a seat at the table. Under the Affordable Care Act, much of the regulatory framework that in the past fell to states and their respective insurance commissioners was transferred to the federal government, which… -
news
Ohio Lawmakers Put ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Ban on Governor’s Desk
The Ohio Legislature has passed and sent to Gov. John Kasich’s desk a measure that would ban abortion after a baby’s heartbeat is detected, about six weeks following conception. Lawmakers passed the Unborn Heartbeat Protection Act on Tuesday as an amendment to a child abuse and neglect bill. If signed by Kasich, the legislation would… -
news
Meet 2 Hurting Americans Who Are Ready for Congress to Repeal Obamacare
On the night of the election three weeks ago, Rochelle Bird stayed up late watching the returns with a friend. Bird, a financial adviser from Overland Park, Kansas, recalled being in knots in the days leading up to the election. “If it didn’t go the way of [Donald] Trump, the next four years and possibly… -
opinion
What a Trump Court Would Mean for Abortion
The pro-life movement in America is stronger, more sophisticated, and younger than anywhere else on the planet. We know how to write legislation and how to get it passed at every level of government. We can bury Capitol Hill in post cards and shut down phone lines. We have learned how to find pro-life candidates,… -
opinion
Meet the Doctor Trump Picked to Dismantle Obamacare
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price of Georgia as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is an outstanding choice. It is hard to imagine a candidate more qualified to serve in this crucial position, especially at a time when America’s health care economy is undergoing a major… -
news
What You Need to Know About Tom Price, Trump’s Pick for HHS Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Rep. Tom Price, a Republican from Georgia, is his pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. “Chairman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on health care policy, making him the ideal choice to… -
news
Obamacare ‘Insurer Bailouts’ Become Less Likely Under President Trump
Insurance companies hoping for relief in the form of changes to two Obamacare programs may end up disappointed now that President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to take the White House. Obamacare’s risk corridor and reinsurance programs sunset at the end of the year, but conservative groups are worried that Congress would attempt to give insurers more…