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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- News
This Insurer Used to Make Money on Obamacare Plans. Now It’s Losing Money
One of the country’s largest insurance companies is now expected to lose money this year after emerging as one of the few insurers that made money on Obamacare’s exchange business early on. Anthem, one of the country’s five largest insurers, was projected to be successful in its business on Obamacare exchanges earlier this year. But…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Planned Parenthood Uses Virtual Reality to Promote Abortion at Democrat Convention
PHILADELPHIA—Steps outside a women’s caucus meeting at the Democratic National Convention, Planned Parenthood’s lobbying arm got techy with attendees, using computer-generated imagery to give people a firsthand look at the protests some women face when walking into abortion clinics. “Planned Parenthood Action Fund is here sharing a virtual reality film called ‘Across the Line,’ which…Kelsey Bolar -
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White House Ducks Democrats’ Platform Demand for Taxpayer-Funded Abortion
Although Barack Obama has been staunchly pro-choice during his presidency, the White House this week cited a “longstanding view” that doesn’t support federal taxpayer funding of abortions—a change embraced at the Democratic National Convention as part of the party’s platform. “I don’t believe we have changed our position on the Hyde Amendment, but if we…Fred Lucas -
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16 Obamacare Co-Ops Collapsed. Here’s How the Rest Are Faring.
Since Obamacare’s rollout in the fall of 2013, 16 co-ops that launched with money from the federal government have collapsed. The co-ops, or consumer operated and oriented plans, were started under the Affordable Care Act as a way to boost competition among insurers and expand the number of health insurance companies available to consumers living…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Only Miles From Democrat Convention, Kermit Gosnell’s Clinic Brings Abortion Industry Horrors to Forefront
Three years after he was convicted of murder, Kermit Gosnell's shuttered abortion clinic still stands mere miles from Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center, home to this week's Democratic National Convention. As Democrats gather in the city to anoint their presidential candidate, film director and citizen journalist David Altrogge is preparing the release of a new film, "3801 Lancaster: American…Terri Shepherd -
- Opinion
The Difference Between Privacy Rights in Abortion and Same-Sex Locker Rooms Cases
When most Americans consider the right to privacy they think about the privacy they enjoy in their homes and person. They don’t think about killing unborn children in the womb. But that is not true of liberal activists. To them, the right to privacy is all about abortion because seemingly everything is about abortion on…Jeremy Tedesco -
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The 16th Obamacare Co-Op Has Collapsed. Here’s How Much Each Failed Co-Op Got in Taxpayer-Funded Loans.
Update: Illinois’ Land of Lincoln Health announced Tuesday it will be closing its doors. The co-op became the 16th of 23 co-ops launched under Obamacare to collapse, following Oregon’s Health Co-Op. Land of Lincoln Health received $160.1 million in loans from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. More than 54,000 enrolled in coverage from…Melissa Quinn -
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Obamacare’s 14th Co-Op Is Closing Its Doors, and at Least 2 More Could Close Soon
Another Obamacare co-op, Connecticut’s HealthyCT, is closing its doors, and at least two most could follow suit as the nonprofit insurers decide whether they will be able to remain on firm financial footing. The nine remaining co-ops of the original 23 co-ops must make payments totaling at least $130 million through Obamacare’s risk adjustment program,…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
5 Myths About FDA’s Regulation of Vapor Products
On May 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule known as the Deeming Regulation, extending its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, or Tobacco Act, to all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), also known as vapor products. Some scientific journals refer to these products as electronic nicotine…Elaine Keller -
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Middle-Class Minnesotans Will Soon Have Fewer Health Care Choices Because of Obamacare
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota members with individual and family insurance plans face major shifts in their policies in the coming year, after the insurer decided to decrease its presence on its state-run Obamacare exchange Minnesota’s largest health insurer is minimizing its individual plan offerings, so much so that all family and individual preferred provider…Faith Vander Voort -
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The Supreme Court Abortion Safety Case, Explained
The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas law governing abortion clinics, serving a major victory to pro-choice advocates who opposed higher health and safety standards. The Daily Signal breaks down the case, and what the 5-3 decision means moving forward.Kelsey Bolar -
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Pro-Lifers on Supreme Court Abortion Case: ‘We’re Coming Back in Full Force’
Members of the pro-life movement standing outside the Supreme Court on Monday were visibly discouraged by the 5-3 decision striking down a Texas law that imposed health and safety regulations on abortion clinics. But those activists showed no signs that they intend to back down from the battle over abortion in the United States. “The…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Puts Abortion Industry Profits Over Women’s Safety
The Supreme Court has issued its decision in the first major abortion case in nearly a decade. On Monday, the court ruled 5-3 to reverse Texas’ law requiring abortion clinics meet commonsense safety standards regularly followed by facilities that perform invasive outpatient surgeries and requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a…Elizabeth Slattery -
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Paul Ryan, House GOP Offer Plan to Repeal, Replace Obamacare
After more than six years of Republican pledges to repeal and replace Obamacare, House Speaker Paul Ryan today rolled out a plan to deliver on that promise by abolishing the 2010 law. The 37-page Republican plan creates a blueprint for rolling back President Barack Obama’s more than 3,000-page marquee health care law. It’s the fifth…Philip Wegmann -
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Obama Administration Coy on Expanding Obamacare to California Illegal Immigrants
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to expand Obamacare to cover illegal immigrants, but now it’s up to the Obama administration to determine if the nation’s largest state will get an exemption related to a specific promise the president made when trying to sell the health care law. The Golden State will be asking…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
How the Insurance Market Is Responding to Obamacare
I split my time pretty evenly between Washington, D.C., and my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. In D.C., if you want to get your fix of crony capitalism or government mandates, they’re only a step away at any time. But if you want to capture a perfect specimen of crony capitalism and government overreach in…Gregg Keller -
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California Could Become the First State to Expand Coverage to Illegal Immigrants Under Obamacare
California state lawmakers are one step closer to expanding coverage under Obamacare to illegal immigrants, sending a bill to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk that would allow those living in the state illegally to buy health insurance on the exchange with their own money. The California Legislature passed a bill last week setting in motion a…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Obamacare’s 13th Co-Op Is Closing. Why More Could Follow.
Obamacare’s 13th co-op announced it’s closing ahead of the 2017 open enrollment period, and more of the nonprofit insurers could follow suit in the coming months. Ohio’s InHealth Mutual announced late last week it would be closing its doors after the state’s Department of Insurance requested to liquidate the insurer. As insurers prepare to submit…Melissa Quinn -
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Under Obamacare, Small Business Owner Forced to Get Rid of Health Care Benefits or Face Fine Up to $500K
When Maryland business owner Thomas Kunkel first learned about the Affordable Care Act, he was excited about the prospect of the new health care law. “From the small business standpoint, it was actually one of the first times I felt like a bit of a social program might actually benefit a small business,” he told…Melissa Quinn -
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Why Obamacare Customers in Some States Might See Higher Rates in 2017
As insurance companies begin submitting their rates for health care coverage next year, consumers are seeing changes in the number of insurers selling plans on Obamacare’s exchanges. And in some places, fewer choices on the exchanges can mean higher premiums. So far, three states—Alabama, Alaska, and Wyoming—have just one insurer selling coverage on their Obamacare…Melissa Quinn