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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IRS Official Warns That ‘Thousands’ of Obamacare Enrollees Could See Delay in Tax Refunds
The taxpayers’ leading voice at the Internal Revenue Service is warning that the tax agency is delaying refunds for “tens of thousands” of Affordable Care Act enrollees because it’s missing data from state-run health insurance exchanges. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson spoke about the delays at the American Payroll Association’s Capital Summit in Washington, D.C….Melissa Quinn -
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Obamacare Supporters, Critics Clash at Supreme Court Over Law’s Subsidies
The highly anticipated case that could topple the Affordable Care Act reached the Supreme Court Wednesday, and already onlookers are attempting to deconstruct the justices’ inquiries in an effort to predict how the court will rule. The nine justices met in the marble courthouse to hear oral arguments in King v. Burwell, opting to extend…Melissa Quinn -
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In Under 3 Minutes, Watch Instant Analysis on Today’s Oral Arguments in Obamacare Supreme Court Case
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the highly anticipated case King v. Burwell. After the 85-minute long arguments, Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, spoke to The Daily Signal on the steps of the high court to provide an analysis of the proceedings. The Supreme Court is examining…Melissa Quinn -
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The Damaging Effects of Obamacare
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in the case of King v. Burwell—a challenge to an IRS rule under Obamacare that provides the payment of premium subsidies to individuals enrolled in the federal exchange. Obamacare’s advocates have made various claims about the harm that would supposedly occur if the court were to find for…Alyene Senger -
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How Will Congress Respond to Supreme Court Ruling on Obamacare Subsidies?
At 10 a.m. tomorrow, the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices will take their places on the bench in the marble temple to hear oral arguments in the highly anticipated case King v. Burwell. Millions of Americans will have to wait several months before the high court decides the future of the subsidies available under the…Melissa Quinn -
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As Supreme Court Prepares to Hear New Obamacare Case, One Senator Is Preparing a Plan B
In just one week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on a case that could greatly affect the future of the Affordable Care Act. In anticipation of the high court’s ruling in King v. Burwell, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said he plans to reveal a “backup plan” should the justices rule that the health care…Melissa Quinn -
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Yes, It’s Legal for the Obama Administration to Create a Special Enrollment Period for Obamacare
The Obama administration is exploring whether to add a special enrollment period under Obamacare for those who are unaware of the fine for not having insurance. However, following a long list of unilateral changes the White House has made to the law since its inception, some are questioning whether the administration has the legal authority…Melissa Quinn -
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How One Nebraska Woman Lost Her Health Insurance Three Times Under Obamacare
Dec. 26, 2014, was strike three for Pamela Weldin. The day after Christmas, Weldin, of Minatare, Neb., had logged on to Facebook to find a message from a friend of hers. Included in the note was a link to an article from the Omaha World-Herald announcing that CoOportunity Health, a nonprofit health insurance company offering plans…Melissa Quinn -
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Appeals Court Rules Against Geneva College in Obamacare Abortion Drug Case
Chalk up another setback for religious freedom. Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled against Geneva College and other non-profit religious employers in their challenge to the Obamacare mandate that forces employers to provide healthcare coverage of abortion-inducing drugs and devices. You don’t have to agree with Geneva College…Elizabeth Slattery -
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The Results Are In: Obamacare Is Driving Up Medicaid Rolls
An examination of Obamacare data reveals the president’s signature law has mostly been an expansion of the failing Medicaid program. In fact, the coverage numbers are far worse than the Congressional Budget Office projected in the summer of 2012. According to recent analysis by The Heritage Foundation, Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion is responsible for almost all of…Sen. John Barrasso -
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Obamacare Co-Ops Cost Taxpayers $17,000 Per Enrollee
More than 500,000 people enrolled in health plans offered by nonprofit insurance companies created under the Affordable Care Act. And with the co-ops receiving an average of $108.7 million from the federal government, taxpayer-backed funding per enrollee topped $17,000. Twenty-three co-ops received a total of $2.5 billion from the federal government and enrolled more than…Melissa Quinn -
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One Year After Obamacare’s Implementation, Taxpayer-Funded Co-Ops Struggle to Survive
After receiving $2.5 billion in taxpayer dollars from the federal government, the vast majority of nonprofit insurance companies created under the Affordable Care Act recorded losses in revenue, an analysis by The Daily Signal found. Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans, or co-ops, are nonprofit insurance companies created by the Affordable Care Act. Though the concept…Melissa Quinn -
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Obamacare Makes Tax Time More Taxing
As Americans begin to file their 2014 taxes, they will encounter some new forms and paper work, thanks to burdens imposed by Obamacare’s flawed policies. First, taxpayers now must report their health insurance coverage status and that of their dependents. Those who were uninsured in 2014 either must file for one of the individual mandate’s…Alyene Senger -
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Cartoon: The Vaccine We Need
From Heritage Foundation's Romina Boccia and Michael Sargent: For the first time in his two terms in office, President Obama released his annual budget on time. This is a welcome step towards normalcy in the budget process, though one wonders why it took six years for the administration to decide it should adhere to the…Glenn Foden -
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Did Congress Lie About Key Facts to Obtain Obamacare Exemption?
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., wants to know why members of Congress and their staff are exempted from Obamacare. “Washington insiders should be forced to live under Obamacare just like the rest of America without a special taxpayer funded subsidy,” says @DavidVitter Vitter, who launched an investigation this week, said in a statement that “false information may have…Kate Scanlon -
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IRS Seeks 9,000 New Employees as It Prepares to Enforce Obamacare
As millions of Americans brace for tax season, the Internal Revenue Service is requesting a $2 billion boost to its budget and 9,000 new employees as it prepares to enforce Obamacare’s tax provisions. President Obama released his $4 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2016 this week, which includes $13.9 billion for the Internal Revenue…Melissa Quinn -
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Outbreak of Pro-Vaccine Sentiment From Rivals Afflicts Two White House Hopefuls
Potential candidates for president today rushed to endorse government-mandated vaccination shots for children after a media dustup over comments in support of parental choice from two other hopefuls. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, both considered players in the Republican field for 2016, made their remarks amid public concern over a measles outbreak…Ken McIntyre -
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The House Just Voted to Repeal Obamacare. Why the Senate Should Do the Same.
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted for the fourth time to repeal—in full—the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The margin was 239 to 186. Now, the national debate moves to the Senate. For the past five years, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the former majority leader, protected U.S. senators from such a recorded vote. Senators will now…Robert Moffit -
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What’s Different About Today’s Obamacare Repeal Vote
Tuesday, for the fourth time, the U.S. House will vote to fully repeal Obamacare. What’s different, though, is that with a GOP-controlled Senate, Republicans can attack President Obama’s signature legislation on their own terms. The showdown over the Affordable Care Act comes as conservatives want GOP leaders to fulfill a campaign promise to repeal the…Kelsey Bolar -
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5 More Reasons to Completely Repeal Obamacare in 2015
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on repealing Obamacare this week. Heritage has already laid out five of the biggest reasons for Congress to repeal the entire law but because the law and its effects are so far-reaching, here are five more: Obamacare’s tax credits are overly complicated. The premium tax credits used…Alyene Senger