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Obamacare Replacement Plan Faces Key Test in Budget Committee
The Obamacare replacement plan offered by congressional Republicans will face its biggest test yet when the House Budget Committee gathers Thursday to review the bill. The 36-member panel will meet to vote on the proposal, called the American Health Care Act. At least three conservative lawmakers who have spoken out against the legislation hold seats…Melissa Quinn -
In Repealing Obamacare, Congress Should Look to the 2015 Reconciliation Bill
In the coming days and weeks, Congress will work to repeal major parts of Obamacare using the budget reconciliation process. This is the same process Congress used last year to send a repeal bill to President Barack Obama’s desk. Budget reconciliation is the favored vehicle for repeal because it is not subject to a Senate…Alyene Senger -
How Many Americans Paid the Obamacare Tax Penalty in 2016
About 6.5 million Americans paid an average penalty of $470 for not having health insurance in 2015—20 percent fewer than the year before, according to data released Tuesday by the IRS. The IRS collected $3 billion, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a letter to members of Congress. The individual mandate is the most unpopular…Phil Galewitz -
70% of US Counties Have Only 1 or 2 Insurers on Obamacare Exchanges
Forthcoming research by The Heritage Foundation finds that insurer competition in the Obamacare exchanges is worse than ever in 2017, with 70 percent of counties having only one or two insurers selling coverage. As shown in the map, consumers in nearly one-third of counties have no choice of insurer on their Obamacare exchange in 2017….Alyene Senger -
The Obamacare Taxes Dividing Republicans
Republicans have coalesced around a strategy for repealing Obamacare using a budget tool called reconciliation. But a divide has emerged among some Republican senators who, splitting from their conservative colleagues, believe they should delay a repeal of Obamacare’s taxes until a replacement plan is implemented. On one side of the debate are Republican Sens. Bob…Melissa Quinn -
Obama Health Secretary’s Speech Ignores the Consequences of Obamacare
On Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell gave a speech in support of Obamacare proclaiming the benefits of Obamacare and cautioning against repealing and replacing the law, as Congress has promised to do. Unsurprisingly, she left out some critical details from her list of Obamacare “benefits.” Regarding insurance coverage, Burwell said: On access,…Jean Morrow -
The Right Way to Repeal Obamacare
Last November, the American people voted for change in Washington. They elected Republican majorities to both chambers of Congress and elected a Republican president because, as a party, we pledged to fix the broken status quo of the past eight years. Reforming our dysfunctional federal government and restoring sanity to our nation’s capital starts with…Sen. Mike Lee -
Holding Obamacare Repeal Hostage for Replace Guarantees Its Defeat
After six years of pushing for a repeal of Obamacare, some on the right are now critiquing Congress’ effort for repeal. Their arguments do more to confuse the issue than to present a viable path forward for eliminating the harmful effects of this law. Congressional Republicans appear set to finally repeal Obamacare using reconciliation, a process…James Wallner -
New Legislation Could Open Up Health Care Options After an Obamacare Repeal
Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., has introduced a bill in the House that, if passed, will allow individuals to decide how they want their health care funds to be spent, without the influence of the government or health insurance providers. Brat said that the health savings account legislation is a way for lawmakers to prove to…Rachel del Guidice -
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Don’t Let the Media Confuse You: Obamacare Is a Policy Failure
Leave it to the media, which spent the latter half of 2016 highlighting how outrageously expensive Obamacare premiums were becoming, to suddenly shift gears in 2017 and stress the health law’s many “pluses.” Such was the case in a recent interview with Heritage President Jim DeMint, in which CNN anchor Carol Costello suggested that lawmakers…Alyene Senger -
The Obamacare Executive Orders Trump Could Issue on Day One
President-elect Donald Trump may be following President Barack Obama’s lead come Jan. 20, using executive orders to roll back parts of the outgoing president’s signature health care law. During a meeting with Republicans on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said the president-elect plans to kick off his administration by signing executive orders to begin…Melissa Quinn -
Cruz, Lee, Rubio Call on Senate Leaders to Repeal ‘as Many Provisions of Obamacare as Possible’
Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, and Marco Rubio of Florida are reaffirming their support for repealing Obamacare using reconciliation this year, but are calling on Senate leaders to craft a bill that goes further than previous legislation passed in 2015. “The American people have given Republicans an historic opportunity to…Melissa Quinn -
Obamacare Repeal Must Be on Day One: Congress Has No Excuses
In less than three weeks’ time, when Donald Trump becomes our next president, he will take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. It is fitting, then, that Trump has committed to repealing and replacing one of his predecessor’s most infamous unconstitutional policies, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare….Jim DeMint -
7 Years on, Obamacare Is Less Pro-Life Than Anything We Were Told
Open enrollment for Obamacare plans is well under way, having started Nov. 1 and running through Jan. 31, 2017. Not only is Obamacare proving unaffordable to millions of Americans—it is proving unconscionable for pro-life Americans who don’t want to pay for health care plans that cover abortion on demand or lack transparency about such coverage….Arina O. Grossu -
Fearmongering Harry Reid Is Spewing Lies About Obamacare
Democrats have lied about Obamacare from the beginning, but outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., apparently intends to tell the biggest lie of all as he exits the Washington scene. In an interview about whether Republicans in Congress would make good on their promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Reid said, “You…Genevieve Wood -
Conservatives Split From GOP Leaders Over Timing of Obamacare Repeal
GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill are committed to using a budget tool called reconciliation to send a bill repealing Obamacare to President-elect Donald Trump’s desk. Though Republicans are settled on getting rid of the Affordable Care Act, fault lines have emerged between GOP lawmakers who disagree on when exactly the health care law should be…Melissa Quinn -
Obamacare May Soon Be Over. Here’s What Americans Have Thought of the Law Since 2010.
In the midst of open enrollment for Obamacare, there is plenty of bad news for health law supporters, from skyrocketing premium rates to diminished insurer participation. Public opinion remains steadily opposed to the law. While some tracking polls try to highlight satisfaction with individual components of the law, Obamacare as a whole has largely been…Elizabeth Fender -
Did Obamacare Really Insure 20 Million?
One of the most frequently heard claims from the Obama administration is that Obamacare is responsible for insuring 20 million adults who were previously uninsured. But Heritage Foundation research shows the administration’s figure is off by a few million. The Department of Health and Human Services claims that 20 million people have gained health coverage…Jared Hatch -
How States Can Shape Obamacare’s Replacement
As Republicans prepare to hammer out the details of a replacement for Obamacare, governors and state insurance commissioners are asking for a seat at the table. Under the Affordable Care Act, much of the regulatory framework that in the past fell to states and their respective insurance commissioners was transferred to the federal government, which…Melissa Quinn
