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 College Stands Ground Against Obamacare Mandate to Give Abortion Drugs to Employees
A 168-year-old Christian college in Pennsylvania is going to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend its refusal to obey an Obama administration mandate to provide what the school considers abortion services to employees. Geneva College, near Pittsburgh, filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration in 2012 over the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to offer employee health plans that cover all federally approved birth control methods. …Kristiana Mork -
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Millionaires Get Obamacare Tax Credits. And It’s Completely Legal.
Millionaires are qualifying for Obamacare subsidies meant to assist low-income Americans who are unable to afford health care, thanks to a flaw in the law. Carolyn McClanahan, a financial adviser and medical doctor in Florida, told CNBC she has advised at least five of her millionaire clients to enroll in health care plans under the Affordable…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Should Courts Be Able to Make Legislative Judgments on Abortion?
Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, in a case very similar to another one pending before the Supreme Court, issued an opinion blocking the enforcement of a commonsense abortion regulation in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin law, which was passed in 2013, requires abortion providers to have “admitting privileges” at hospitals within 30…Tiffany Bates -
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Poll: Majority of Americans Want Restrictions on Abortion
A new poll shows that the majority of Americans support restrictions on abortion, including those who describe themselves as pro-choice. A survey conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus found that 8 in 10 Americans, including 66 percent of pro-choice supporters polled, would restrict abortion to the…Mariana Barillas -
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How Obamacare’s Special Enrollment Periods Could Be Driving Up Costs for Customers
After insurance companies sounded the alarm on how customers can take advantage of special enrollment periods allowed under Obamacare, raising costs for other consumers, the Obama administration announced changes to limit people’s ability to enroll in coverage outside the normal enrollment window. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Tuesday it is eliminating six…Melissa Quinn -
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Find Out How Much Obamacare Rates Increased in Your State
Premiums under the Affordable Care Act will rise in nearly every state this year, spiking health insurance costs for nearly all Americans, according to a new report. All states, with the exception of Mississippi, saw the cost of health insurance premiums increase for 2016. And in most states, Americans using Obamacare's individual marketplace to purchase insurance saw…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Why Obamacare Might Force Doctors to Perform Sex-Reassignment Surgeries
You’ve heard about the Obamacare Individual Mandate. That’s the one that requires every person in America to get government-approved health insurance or face significant IRS penalties. You’ve heard about the Health and Human Services (HHS) contraception mandate. That’s the one that requires private employers, including religious institutions like the Little Sisters of the Poor, to…Roger Severino -
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Obama Vetoes Bill Repealing Affordable Care Act
Republican lawmakers hold on to hope of repealing Obamacare and defunding Planned Parenthood, despite President Barack Obama’s veto Friday of a bill to do just that, at least in part. “Because of the harm this bill would cause to the health and financial security of millions of Americans, it has earned my veto,” Obama said…Leah Jessen -
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Obamacare Agency Put Taxpayer Money ‘at Risk,’ Inspector General Says
The agency charged with overseeing implementation of the Affordable Care Act could not guarantee that tax credits under the law went solely to Obamacare enrollees who had paid their premiums, government inspectors discovered. A report released Wednesday said that in 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services relied on health insurers to confirm that payments based on the tax…Natalie Johnson -
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Find Out How Your Member of Congress Voted on a Bill Repealing Obamacare
For the first time, Congressional Republicans sent a bill repealing key provisions of President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law to his desk. Following the upper chamber’s lead, the House passed a reconciliation bill, 240-181, repealing measures of Obamacare and placing a one-year moratorium on federal funding for Planned Parenthood this evening. The Senate passed the…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Why Obamacare Is on the Road to Repeal
This week, the House of Representatives will clear a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and send it to President Barack Obama’s desk. Although it faces certain veto, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the president is only buying time for a dying law. Obamacare is in bad shape—both economically and ethically. If it were possible…Chuck Donovan -
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Obamacare Repeal, Planned Parenthood Defunding Bill Will Go to Obama
For the first time, Congress will send a bill that repeals Obamacare and defunds Planned Parenthood to President Barack Obama’s desk. Republicans used the budget reconciliation process—a fast-track method to avoid a filibuster from Senate Democrats—to pass the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act earlier this month. The GOP-controlled House will vote on the bill next week. “You can…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
A Medicaid Budget Gimmick That’s Defrauding Taxpayers
The Washington Post editorial board has long considered itself the “adult in the room” on fiscal matters, all but endorsing the Simpson-Bowles plan and other trendy fiscal proposals. It also allied itself with respectable centrist groups like the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in calling out Congress for engaging in budget gimmicks to hide its spending…Jason Yaworske -
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This Senator Thinks Bipartisan Changes Can ‘Fix’ Obamacare
“Step-by-step” changes to Obamacare are the way to improve the health care system, the chairman of the Senate’s committee on health issues says. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., predicts that bipartisan changes to President Barack Obama’s signature health care law will occur over the span of a few years. “I think over the next four or five years…Leah Jessen -
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Police Lift Ban on Christmas Caroling Outside Abortion Clinic
Police lifted a ban on Christmas caroling after ordering a group of pro-life activists to stop singing “Silent Night” and other carols on a sidewalk outside an abortion clinic. The carolers planned to head back to the clinic before Christmas Eve, relieved they each no longer face a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. “No…Leah Jessen -
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How Overregulation Led to the Collapse of Obamacare’s Largest Co-Op
A new report examining the collapse of Health Republic of New York, Obamacare’s largest co-op, said its failure—which may lead to a $265-million loss of taxpayer dollars—can be attributed in part to heightened regulatory control by the state. According to the analysis from the Albany, New York-based Empire Center, a “breakdown” in oversight from the…Melissa Quinn -
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Colorado Medicaid Rolls Double After Expansion
Colorado’s Medicaid caseload nearly doubled in the past two years after the state expanded coverage, surprising state budget officials and putting more pressure on state coffers. And in 2017, the federal government will start decreasing the percentage of the expanded population it funds, raising concerns about a budget crunch caused by hospital provider fee income…Arthur Kane -
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How the Spending Deal’s Risk Corridor Provision Would Affect Obamacare Co-Ops
A provision of the omnibus spending bill prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to “bail out” insurers under Obamacare’s risk corridor program could jeopardize the future of the co-ops created under the health care law. Republicans included language restricting the use of taxpayer dollars for Obamacare’s risk corridor program, which they call a taxpayer-backed insurer…Melissa Quinn -
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This Nashville Deli Is Closing in Part Because of Obamacare
If you ask Tom Loventhal, a deli is no more than a place to provide customers with comfort food. Whether it’s breakfast—served all day—soup or a sandwich, Loventhal’s motto has always been that at his Nashville, Tenn.,-based deli, “anyone is welcome here from ages 0 to 99, because you’ll find something on the menu.” And…Melissa Quinn -
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Workforce Could Shrink by 2 Million People Because of Obamacare
Over the next decade, 2 million workers could decide to leave the workforce because of Obamacare, according to a new report. According to the report from the Congressional Budget Office, the workforce is projected to shrink by 2025 by just under 1 percent—the equivalent of 2 million full-time workers—because of the health care law and…Melissa Quinn