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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Obama’s Nominee to Head Medicare, Medicaid Agency Faces Questions of Cronyism
An Obama administration official who faces questions surrounding potential conflicts of interest due to his work in the medical services field has been nominated to serve as head of the agency tasked with overseeing Obamacare. The White House announced yesterday Andy Slavitt’s nomination to permanently head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Slavitt began…Melissa Quinn -
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Iowa Doctors Can Now Administer Abortion Pills Through Webcam
It is now legal for physicians in Iowa to administer abortion-inducing pills by webcam. Last month, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled a ban on using webcam communication to administer abortion-inducing pills was unconstitutional. This telemedicine abortion procedure, used only at Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa and Minnesota, is banned in 18 other states for safety…Leah Jessen -
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How ‘Robert Bork’s America’ Gave Us Justice Kennedy’s America
It would go down in history as Sen. Edward Kennedy’s “Robert Bork’s America” speech. Judge Bork, a brilliant constitutional scholar, had been nominated by President Reagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, was having none of it. Just minutes after Bork was nominated in July…Betsy Hart -
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Florida Law Instituting a 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortion Goes Into Effect
After being temporarily delayed by a judge, a Florida law that institutes a mandatory 24-hour waiting period before undergoing an abortion went into effect on Wednesday. House Bill 633 was signed into law last month. The legislation requires an abortion provider to meet with a woman seeking an abortion for a consultation appointment at least 24…Kate Scanlon -
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What You Didn’t Know About a Doctor’s Stance on the HPV Vaccine
It appears to be a neutral source in a prestigious medical journal: An article defending the controversial human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical cancer vaccine. It criticizes the Japanese government’s decision to stop promoting the vaccine amid concerns about injuries. And it implies patients are incorrectly blaming the HPV vaccine for unrelated ills. Critics say it’s an…Sharyl Attkisson -
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Drones Provide Abortion-Inducing Pills to Polish Women
Last Saturday, abortion-inducing medication flew from Germany to Poland on the world’s first abortion drone in order to help women gain “access to safe abortions” in Poland, where strict abortion restrictions exist. The campaign was launched by several reproductive rights groups, including Women on Waves, an abortion support group for Polish women, along with several…Diana Stancy -
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What the Supreme Court Got Wrong on Obamacare and Marriage
Two of the Supreme Court’s biggest decisions were handed down last week, prompting praise and criticism. Yesterday, I appeared on Fox News to analyze the court’s rulings on Obamacare and same-sex marriage. >>> For more on this, see Ryan T. Anderson’s new book, “Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom”Ryan T. Anderson -
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Obama’s Conservative Defense of Obamacare
Yesterday was a great day for conservative rhetoric in America. After the Supreme Court upheld a key provision of Obamacare by rewriting the law (again), President Obama urged Americans to be deferential to the wisdom of long-established traditions and customs. “What we’re not going to do is unravel what has now been woven into the…David Azerrad -
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Cartoon: Obamacare’s Long-Term Prognosis
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Obama administration Thursday in a 6-3 ruling that upholds the federal subsidies awarded under Obamacare. That led President Obama to boast that “The Affordable Care Act is here to stay.” But what's the long-term prognosis? Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint had this to say after the court's ruling:…Glenn Foden -
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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