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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Bobby Jindal: Repeal and Replace Obamacare
MANCHESTER, N.H.—Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says that in spite of the Supreme Court’s ruling that Obamacare subsidies are constitutional, the Affordable Care Act still needs to be replaced. “You may have seen [the] news that the Supreme Court has ruled that one part of this law is not unconstitutional,” said Jindal during a speech yesterday…Kate Scanlon -
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California Legislature Passes Mandatory Vaccination Bill
The California state legislature passed a controversial vaccination mandate Thursday requiring all schoolchildren receive vaccinations regardless of personal and religious beliefs. The law would end the ability of parents to exempt their children from vaccination unless a serious medical reason is given. Unvaccinated children are required to be homeschooled. Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez voted against…Natalie Johnson -
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Republicans Plot Next Steps After Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies
On the heels of the freshly handed-down Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the subsidies in federally-run exchanges awarded under President Obama’s health care law, congressional Republicans are turning their attention to a budget mechanism that would fast-track a repeal of Obamacare through Congress. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 today in favor of the…Melissa Quinn -
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King v. Burwell Decision Changes Nothing for Obamacare Repeal
This morning, the Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case of King v. Burwell which maintains, contrary to the plain language of the law, subsidies are available to those who purchase insurance through federal health insurance exchanges set up for states which opted not to create their own. This doesn’t change the responsibility…Jim DeMint -
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Texas Religious Schools Lose in Obamacare Abortion-Drug Mandate Case
Earlier this week, religious employers suffered another loss at the hands of the coercive Obamacare Health and Human Services mandate. A U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit panel ruled against East Texas Baptist University and a group of other non-profit religious employers in their challenge to the Obamacare requirement that they facilitate health…Elizabeth Slattery -
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What 2016 Hopefuls Think of King v. Burwell Obamacare Decision
Most of the major candidates running for president responded quickly to the Supreme Court’s upholding of Obamacare subsidies, with Democrats generally hailing the ruling and Republicans panning it. Within minutes of the release of the high court’s 6-3 decision in King v. Burwell, the 2016 presidential hopefuls took to Twitter to offer their opinions. >>> Republicans…Ken McIntyre -
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King v. Burwell Decision Doesn’t Change That Obamacare Remains Unworkable, Unaffordable and Unpopular
Today the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the administration to allow Obamacare subsidies to flow through HealthCare.gov. This is a disappointment for the rule of law and for the states that have fought to keep some of Obamacare’s flawed policies out of their states. While the administration and Obamacare supporters attempt to convince the…Nina Owcharenko Schaefer -
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Number of Adults Without Health Insurance Dropped During Obamacare’s First Year of Implementation
The number of adults without health insurance dropped over 4 percentage points in 2014, the first year of the Affordable Care Act’s implementation, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In its annual National Health Interview Survey, the CDC reported that the percentage of adults between 18 and 64 who…Kate Scanlon -
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Emails Reveal Jonathan Gruber’s Hand in Crafting Obamacare
Although the White House previously disregarded an MIT economist’s role in the construction of the Affordable Care Act, a recent report indicates the consultant was one of the most critical actors involved in crafting the legislation. The Wall Street Journal obtained emails recently from the House Oversight Committee that unmasked over 20,000 pages of correspondence…Diana Stancy -
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Obama’s Attempt to Influence Supreme Court on Obamacare Case Breaks Precedent
Last week, President Obama made several comments about the Supreme Court’s pending decision in King v. Burwell, the Obamacare tax subsidies case, chiding the court for taking up the issue and calling it “an easy case.” But should the president be telling the justices how to rule? Historically, many presidents have criticized decisions with which…Elizabeth Slattery -
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More Honest Accounting Shows That Repealing Obamacare Is Good for the Economy
The fiscal year 2016 budget resolution passed by Congress in May requires the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation to include the macroeconomic feedback effects of changes in policy on the budget when evaluating major legislation (CBO and JCT are the official number crunchers of Congress). Specifically, Section 3112 of the resolution…Paul Winfree -
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When Did Obamacare Become Pro-Growth?
It was shocking to read Kimberley Strassel describe the 28 House Democrats voting in favor of fast-track trade authority as “pro-growth” in her latest Wall Street Journal “Potomac Watch” column. One single vote—a vote on a congressional process—is not enough to overcome a lifetime of economically disastrous votes. Seventeen of those 28 Democrats were in…Dan Holler -
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James Lankford: King v. Burwell Decision Offers ‘Leverage’ for GOP to Act on Obamacare
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a conservative leader in Congress, sat down with The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. He addressed several important topics affecting Americans, including Obamacare, the King v. Burwell case, and the importance of returning power back to the people. You can watch the full interview or see Lankford’s answers to each…Jamie Jackson -
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Why These Tea Party Activists Are Protesting Obamacare
With a Supreme Court decision on Obamacare looming, concerned citizens trekked to the U.S. Capitol yesterday with flags and signs in hand to protest President Obama’s health care law. The Alexandria (Va.) Tea Party teamed up with the group Virginians for Quality Healthcare to voice disapproval with congressional exemptions to the Affordable Care Act and…Samantha Reinis -
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Don’t Fix Obamacare
Many Republicans are watching ongoing developments in the King v. Burwell Obamacare case with trepidation. In the abstract, most recognize the opportunity such a case represents to roll back Obamacare and force a debate about real, pro-market insurance reform. But as the decision looms, many now have second thoughts, convinced that the country will blame…Mike Needham -
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Supreme Court Rejects North Carolina Appeal to Revive Mandatory Ultrasounds for Women Who Want an Abortion
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday from North Carolina state officials attempting to restore a state law requiring doctors to conduct ultrasounds and describe the fetuses to women wanting an abortion. The court’s refusal left intact an appeals court decision deeming the law unconstitutional under the First Amendment for violating doctors’ free speech rights. The North…Natalie Johnson -
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If Supreme Court Rules Against Obamacare, Republicans ‘Amazingly’ Have No Strategy, Conservatives Say
Later this month, the Supreme Court is set to decide on a case involving the legality of federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. While a ruling against President Obama’s signature legislation—popularly known as Obamacare—would be a nod to Republicans who have long argued the law is unconstitutional, it also has the party on edge….Kelsey Bolar -
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Trans Fat Consumption Has Declined 80% Since 2003 and Other Reasons the FDA Ban Is Ridiculous
Today, the Food and Drug Administration released its de facto ban on artificial trans fat. In November 2013, the FDA published a tentative determination that partially hydrogenated oils, the primary dietary source of trans fat in processed food, are not “generally recognized as safe.” The agency has now decided to finalize this determination. But the…Daren Bakst -
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King v. Burwell in Perspective: Only 1 Out of 5 Whose Insurance Costs Grew Because of Obamacare Got Subsidies
The Supreme Court will soon hand down its decision in King v. Burwell. That case asks the court to decide if the statutory text of the Affordable Care Act authorizes the Treasury to pay subsidies to individuals who purchased coverage through HealthCare.gov—the federally operated health insurance exchange for states that did not establish their own…Edmund Haislmaier -
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Obamacare: It’s Still Unaffordable, Unworkable and Unfair
Earlier this week, President Obama taunted the Supreme Court for taking up a challenge to Obamacare and boldly declared that his health care law is a success. “What’s more, the thing is working,” Obama boasted to reporters. “I mean, part of what’s bizarre about this whole thing is we haven’t had a lot of conversation…Ben Howe