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- News
Why 6 Government-Funded Insurance Companies Created Under Obamacare Collapsed
A government watchdog overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services delivered the grim financial state of nearly all of the co-ops—that collectively received $2.4 billion—created under Obamacare several months ago. Now, following the collapse of six of the 23 that launched in 2013, the co-ops, or consumer oriented and operated plans, face an uphill…Melissa Quinn -
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Law Firm for the Little Sisters Asks Supreme Court to Hear Its Obamacare Case
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit law firm dedicated to preserving religious liberty for people of all faiths, filed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, asking it to hear the case of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns who…Kate Scanlon -
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Report: Insurers ‘Lost a Lot of Money’ Selling Obamacare Plans
Insurers lost at least 12 percent on Affordable Care Act plans in 2014, according to a new report. The author of the report, Brian Blase, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, told The Daily Signal in an interview that the losses will mean higher premiums for consumers. He said that…Kate Scanlon -
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These 3 House Committees Plan to Repeal Parts of Obamacare
Months after promising voters they would repeal Obamacare, House Republicans in three committees have introduced proposals to roll back specific parts of President Obama’s health care law. But the plans stop short of a full repeal. Three committees in the House—Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce—approved proposals last week detailing…Melissa Quinn -
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House Democrats Propose Illegal Immigrants Gain Access to Obamacare
The pope’s reminder of the Golden Rule during his visit to Congress inspired a House Democrat to introduce legislation to expand the Affordable Care Act. Last week Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., introduced new legislation called the Exchange Inclusion for a Healthy America Act of 2015, which would allow illegal immigrants health care coverage under Obamacare. “Treat…Leah Jessen -
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Kevin McCarthy Vows to Fight to Defund Obamacare, Planned Parenthood
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy further separated himself from outgoing Speaker John Boehner Tuesday night, vowing to fight to the end for conservative policies if he takes the chamber’s top seat. Fox News’ Sean Hannity pressed McCarthy hard on conservative frustration that accelerated Boehner’s demise, repeatedly pointing to the House’s failure to unravel Obamacare despite…Natalie Johnson -
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Obamacare’s Largest Co-Op Collapses, Marking 4th Failure of the Year
New York state and federal regulators ordered the U.S.’s largest nonprofit health insurance provider established under the Affordable Care Act, the Health Republic Insurance of New York, to shut its doors by the end of the year as it continues to trend toward insolvency. The announcement Friday disrupts health coverage for more than 200,000 people….Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
This New Lawsuit Against Obamacare Has Legs
For those who thought that the lawsuits challenging the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) were at an end, think again. On September 9, Judge Rosemary Collyer of the federal district court for the District of Columbia refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the entire U.S. House of Representatives against the Obama administration over its…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Why One Republican Thinks an Obamacare Lawsuit Can Stop the Iran Deal
Earlier this month, Senate Democrats blocked a resolution to reject President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, effectively allowing the White House to begin moving forward with the agreement. Republicans, though, remain steadfast in arguing that the debate over the Iran deal is far from over. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., has emerged as one of the…Melissa Quinn -
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How Obamacare Will Cost Native American Tribes Millions of Dollars
Native American tribes are pushing back against a provision of Obamacare mandating that tribal governments provide health insurance to their employees. Tribal leaders say it’s a “misinterpretation” of the law that will cost millions of dollars. When Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2009, lawmakers exempted Native Americans from the individual mandate, shielding them…Melissa Quinn -
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Obamacare Enrollment Dropped in 29 States, Falling Below Administration Figures
Obamacare exchanges took a hit over the course of three months earlier this year as enrollment dropped in 29 states, plus Washington, D.C., resulting in a net loss of 238,119 enrollees, according to a report released Monday. Americans for Tax Reform analyzed data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, finding that enrollment in…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
What the Failure of the Obamacare Co-ops Teaches Us
The Obama administration is perfecting the art of the “boondoggle”—a colorful term for a taxpayer-funded project characterized by wasteful spending, gross inefficiency, or political favoritism. William Safire, the late New York Times columnist, traced the word’s origins to 1935, when the New York City Council learned that Depression relief funds were being used for puppet…Robert Moffit -
- Opinion
Next Obamacare Issue: The Definition of ‘Small Employer’
Unsurprisingly there are more problems with the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) that await members of Congress coming back from their August recess. Topping the list of issues is a provision in Obamacare that changes the definition of “small employer” from “50 or fewer employees” to “100 or fewer employees,” starting January 1, 2016. While there…Edmund Haislmaier -
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This Obamacare Co-Op Was Supposed to Make Money. Instead, It Lost Over $15 Million.
A Nevada health insurance provider that received more than $65 million in taxpayer-funded loans from the federal government announced last week that it is discontinuing operations at the end of the year. The Nevada Health Co-Op will close its doors beginning Jan. 1 because of “challenging market conditions.” The co-op will be the third of…Melissa Quinn -
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Under Obamacare, Uninsured Rate Fell to Lowest Level in 50 Years. Why There’s More to That Number.
Nearly two years after Obamacare’s implementation, a new survey found that the number of uninsured Americans decreased to less than 10 percent of the population in the first three months of 2015, which is the lowest level in the survey’s 50-year history. However, experts say the change could be mostly attributed to the Obama administration’s expansion…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Why Obamacare Could be Heading to the Supreme Court (Again)
This past week, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, over the vigorous dissent of four judges on that court, denied rehearing en banc (legalese for an entire court rather than just a panel of three judges) in the case of Sissel v. United States Department of Health and Human…Andrew Kloster -
- Opinion
What States Can Do Now to Be Ready for an Obamacare Repeal
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell, President Obama has claimed that Obamacare is working and here to stay. In truth, the actual effect of the Supreme Court’s decision leaves Obamacare unchanged, and the law is certainly not working well. Not only will Obamacare’s current political and operational problems continue,…Nina Owcharenko Schaefer -
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22 of 23 Taxpayer-Backed Obamacare Co-Ops Lost Money In 2014, Audit Finds
A new report from a government watchdog examining the success of taxpayer-funded Obamacare co-ops found that the vast majority lost money last year and struggled to enroll consumers, throwing their ability to repay the taxpayer-funded loans into question. According to the audit from the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general, 22 of the…Melissa Quinn -
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The Path to Repeal Obamacare With Just 51 Votes
After vowing to repeal and replace Obamacare during the 2014 midterm elections, Republicans officially took control of Congress in January. Republicans have several procedural tools at their disposal to roll back Obamacare. Many have called on leadership to use a budget tool known as reconciliation to do just that. Reconciliation gives the GOP the power…Melissa Quinn -
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Mike Lee Secured a Commitment From GOP Leadership to Repeal Obamacare With a Simple Majority. Here’s How.
Conservative Sen. Mike Lee struck a deal Monday with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to repeal Obamacare through a budget tool known as reconciliation, which would allow the Senate to roll back the health care law with a simple majority (51 votes). The Utah Republican secured the commitment from McConnell in exchange for the…Melissa Quinn
