12/6/2018

CELEBS/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration isn’t doing much to let Americans know it’s time to sign up for Obamacare, so celebrities are trying to fill the void. Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show, urged his Twitter followers to spread the word earlier this week after a former Obama official flagged that enrollment figures […]

Read More… from 12/6/2018

11/28/2018

GOP/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “There has been a steep drop in Obamacare insurance numbers, halfway through the sign-up season for 2019, raising concerns that the Trump administration’s controversial policy changes are undermining the marketplaces. The 9.2 percent drop to roughly 100,000 sign-ups per day has surprised close observers of the Obamacare markets, who expected the number […]

Read More… from 11/28/2018

11/8/2018

ABORTION/COURTS/HHS/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “HHS on Wednesday [11-7-18] rolled out two regulations, one final and one proposed, that would further restrict access to reproductive health care procedures. — The move that was expected: HHS finalized a rule that would allow nearly any employer to claim a moral or religious exemption to Obamacare’s birth control mandate. The […]

Read More… from 11/8/2018

10/29/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “I support terminating Obamacare, but if we terminated we will reinstitute preexisting conditions in whatever we do.“ -Donald Trump as quoted by Factbase, “Interview: Jonathan Swan and Jim VandeHei Interview Donald Trump – October 29, 2018,” factba.se, October 29, 2018 […]

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10/24/2018

DEMS/GOP/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday {10-24-18] claimed that Democrats are threatening to endanger patients with pre-existing conditions while Republicans will protect them — an assertion at odds with his administration’s own persistent efforts to dismantle Obamacare…Public health experts say his claims are inaccurate, given his administration’s moves to roll back the […]

Read More… from 10/24/2018

10/23/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A new administration proposal could bump coverage in the individual market. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LOOSENS RULES FOR HRAs — The administration wants to allow employers to utilize health reimbursement arrangements to help their workers purchase coverage on or off the Obamacare markets, touting it as a way to help small and mid-sized companies […]

Read More… from 10/23/2018

10/18/2018

ELECTION/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump issued a warning to fellow Republicans to support coverage of pre-existing conditions with less than 20 days until the midterm elections…The tweet is in line with a familiar refrain from Trump’s recent campaign rallies and even dating back to his debates during the Republican primary. However, it’s not […]

Read More… from 10/18/2018

10/9/2018

DEMS/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “SENATE DEMOCRATS TAKE ON SHORT-TERM PLANS — All forty-nine Democrats, led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, are mounting an unlikely effort to strike down the Trump administration’s rule expanding short-term, limited duration health plans. They’re trying to force a Senate vote on Wednesday to overturn the new rule, which became effective last […]

Read More… from 10/9/2018

10/4/2018

DEMS/HEALTHCARE/HOUSE OF REPS/IMMIGRATION/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Democrats are quietly preparing to launch a slew of investigations into the Trump administration’s health care moves if they retake the House in November, aiming to freeze the White House’s efforts to unravel Obamacare and probe the administration’s care of immigrant kids. The wide-ranging inquiries, coordinated across multiple committees, […]

Read More… from 10/4/2018

9/21/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: [Frances Watson: “Should the Republicans hold onto the House in the Senate, you plan to move forward with any changes on health care? What can we expect?”] “100 percent, and we’re making it so it’s very — very much more affordable. And what we’ve actually done, we’ve really taken Obamacare apart. We are […]

Read More… from 9/21/2018

8/1/2018

DEMS/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration issued a final rule on Wednesday [8-1-18] that clears the way for the sale of many more health insurance policies that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act and do not have to cover prescription drugs, maternity care or people with pre-existing conditions. President Trump has said […]

Read More… from 8/1/2018

8/1/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration took another whack at the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday [8-1-18]. Officials unveiled a final rule that will make it easier to obtain coverage through short-term health insurance plans, which don’t have to adhere to the law’s consumer protections. The move would reverse an Obama administration decision to limit […]

Read More… from 8/1/2018

8/1/2018

OBAMACARE (ACA)/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “President Trump’s new rules on short-term, limited-duration health plans will increase health insurance options for Americans… This rule does not modify any rules governing Obamacare plans (such as pre-existing conditions or essential health benefit requirements); it simply gives consumers another option.” -White House, “President Donald J. Trump’s Administration is Working to Provide […]

Read More… from 8/1/2018

7/24/2018

OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said it would resume billions of dollars in payments expected by insurers under an Affordable Care Act program, ending a brief suspension that it had said was necessary because of a judge’s ruling. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administers the program known as risk adjustment, said […]

Read More… from 7/24/2018

7/18/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Robert Kingsland will have to pay hundreds of dollars if he goes without insurance next year, even though Congress recently repealed the Affordable Care Act’s penalty for not having coverage. That is because his home state of New Jersey just imposed a fine of its own for letting insurance lapse. In California, […]

Read More… from 7/18/2018

7/10/2018

DEMS/OBAMACARE/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Most of the funding for an Affordable Care Act outreach program is being cut by the Trump administration, a move announced late Tuesday [7-10-18] that touched off an angry response from Democrats who called it another attempt to sabotage the health law. The program, which provides money to outreach groups urging people […]

Read More… from 7/10/2018

6/19/2018

OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration issued a sweeping new rule on Tuesday [6-19-18] to make it easier for small businesses to band together and set up health insurance plans that skirt many requirements of the Affordable Care Act, offering lower costs but also fewer benefits. President Trump, speaking at a 75th anniversary celebration of […]

Read More… from 6/19/2018

6/19/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Millions of small businesses and self-employed people will be able to buy health-insurance plans exempt from many Affordable Care Act consumer protections under a much-debated rule released Tuesday [6-19-18] by the Trump administration. The rule is a far-reaching step by the administration to wield its regulatory powers to chisel away at […]

Read More… from 6/19/2018

6/13/2018

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Tens of millions of people who get health insurance through their job could face waiting periods for coverage or find that specific medical conditions aren’t immediately covered if the courts back a request by the Trump administration to toss key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Most of the attention […]

Read More… from 6/13/2018

6/8/2018

DEMS/ELECTIONS/GOP/OBAMACARE/POLLS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration’s decision not to defend key provisions of the Affordable Care Act could deal Democrats a sizable win going into the midterm elections, handing a party already prepared to run on health care a cudgel to use against vulnerable Republicans. Voters, both in interviews and a series of polls, have […]

Read More… from 6/8/2018

6/7/2018

CONGRESS/COURTS/GOP/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/OBAMACARE/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Justice Department won’t defend major provisions in the Affordable Care Act and is asking a federal court to strike down key elements of the law, a new blow to the health law and the stability of the individual insurance market. The department, in a brief it filed Thursday [6-7-18] […]

Read More… from 6/7/2018

5/28/2018

DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE/POLLS: “In recent elections, Democrats have faced attacks related to health-care costs, with the party being blamed for premium increases on Affordable Care Act exchanges during the Obama years. Now, as many health insurers are seeking to impose double-digit rate increases on those marketplaces, a number of recent surveys suggest Republicans may take the lion’s […]

Read More… from 5/28/2018

5/25/2018

GOP/OBAMACARE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A group of Republicans and advocacy groups will soon release a proposal intended to spark another push to repeal the Affordable Care Act, resurrecting a potentially volatile issue in the months before the November midterm elections. The proposal to topple the Obama-era health law and replace it with a plan that would give […]

Read More… from 5/25/2018

5/2/2018

DEMS/ELECTION/GOP/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A year ago Friday [5-4-18], Representative Claudia Tenney of New York stood among dozens of enthusiastic colleagues in the Rose Garden to celebrate passage of a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. When President Trump made his way on stage, Ms. Tenney clapped and smiled. On this not-so-happy […]

Read More… from 5/2/2018

4/9/2018

OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration took additional steps to weaken Obamacare on Monday [4-9-18], allowing U.S. states to relax the rules on what insurers must cover and giving states more power to regulate their individual insurance markets.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final rule that allows states to select essential health […]

Read More… from 4/9/2018

3/15/2018

GOP/HEALTHCARE/LEGAL/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Health insurers and the Trump administration face a court decision shortly that will determine whether the government must pay insurers billions of dollars despite Republican efforts to block payments they view as an industry bailout. Insurers have filed roughly two-dozen lawsuits claiming the federal government reneged on promises it made to pay […]

Read More… from 3/15/2018

3/8/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration rejected on Thursday [3-8-18] Idaho’s plan to allow the sale of stripped-down, low-cost health insurance that violates the Affordable Care Act… While rejecting Idaho’s plan in its current form, Ms. Verma encouraged the state to keep trying, and she suggested that, ‘with certain modifications,’ its proposal might be […]

Read More… from 3/8/2018

3/8/2018

ABORTION/BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PLANNED PARENTHOOD: “A push from the White House and congressional Republicans to add new antiabortion provisions into a sweeping spending bill has divided lawmakers as they work to reach a deal that will fund the government beyond mid-March. Republican lawmakers want to expand restrictions that already prevent federal funding from going to abortions, and they […]

Read More… from 3/8/2018

3/7/2018

ABORTION/HEALTHCARE/HOUSE OF REPS/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PLANNED PARENTHOOD: “House Republicans are demanding a series of controversial abortion and health care policies in the annual health spending bill, setting up a showdown with Democrats and threatening passage of an omnibus spending package to keep the government open. Democrats are vowing to block the slew of long-sought conservative priorities. The riders […]

Read More… from 3/7/2018

3/6/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration wants any congressional plan to shore up the Affordable Care Act markets to include conservative goals, such as letting insurers charge higher premiums to older people, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The memo encourages lawmakers to pass measures including allowing insurers to charge older […]

Read More… from 3/6/2018

2/28/2018

DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Democratic and Republican states are moving in opposite directions on health policy, leaving Americans with starkly divergent options for care depending on where they live. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans, by easing many of the Affordable Care Act’s nationwide requirements after failing last year to repeal the entire law, are effectively […]

Read More… from 2/28/2018

2/26/2018

HEALTHCARE/LEGAL/OBAMACARE(ACA): “A coalition of 20 U.S. states sued the federal government on Monday [2-26-18] over Obamacare, claiming the law was no longer constitutional after the repeal last year of its requirement that people have health insurance or pay a fine. Led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, the lawsuit […]

Read More… from 2/26/2018

2/20/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration on Tuesday [2-20-18] released a proposal that would allow for the proliferation of less-comprehensive, cheaper health plans restricted under the Affordable Care Act, marking one of the most significant efforts by Republicans to roll back the Obama-era health law. The proposed rule would loosen restrictions on short-term insurance […]

Read More… from 2/20/2018

2/15/2018

HEALTHCARE/HHS/OBAMACARE(ACA)PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “Alex M. Azar II, the new secretary of health and human services, said Thursday [2-15-18] that he would closely scrutinize a plan by Idaho to allow the sale of insurance that does not comply with the Affordable Care Act, an early test of how he will enforce a law he opposes. But he […]

Read More… from 2/15/2018

2/15/2018

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Republicans opposed to the Affordable Care Act are showing interest in proposals to shore up the health law and lower premiums, driven partly by their concerns that escalating insurance costs may hurt them in the midterm elections. State and federal GOP lawmakers are backing or considering reinsurance proposals that aim to curb premiums by […]

Read More… from 2/15/2018

2/13/2018

HEALTHCARE/IRS/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Businesses are pushing back on the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to begin enforcing the Affordable Care Act’s employer insurance mandate, challenging penalties that run into the millions and asserting the agency is wrong to impose the fines. The ACA imposes a penalty on employers with more than 50 workers who don’t provide qualifying coverage […]

Read More… from 2/13/2018

2/8/2018

BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS: “In a rare show of congressional cooperation, Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate announced a two-year budget deal Wednesday [2-7-18] that would increase federal spending for defense as well as key domestic priorities, including many health programs. Not in the deal, for which the path to the president’s desk remains unclear, is any […]

Read More… from 2/8/2018

2/4/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMCARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “At least nine states are considering their own versions of a requirement that residents must have health insurance, a move that could accelerate a divide between Democratic states trying to shore up the Affordable Care Act and Republican states intent on tearing it down. Congressional Republicans in December repealed the so-called individual […]

Read More… from 2/4/2018

2/1/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the Trump administration moves to give states more flexibility in running Medicaid, advocates for the poor are keeping a close eye on Indiana to see whether such conservative ideas improve or harm care. Indiana in 2015 implemented some of the most radical changes seen to the state-federal program that covers nearly […]

Read More… from 2/1/2018

1/25/2018

HEALTHCARE/HHS/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Idaho officials said they will begin allowing insurers to sell new plans that don’t meet requirements set by the Affordable Care Act, a move that will test the limits of states’ ability to carve out their own health-insurance rules under the Trump administration. In a bulletin issued Wednesday [1-25-18], the Idaho Department […]

Read More… from 1/25/2018

1/24/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/LEGAL/MEDICARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Advocacy groups sued the Trump administration Wednesday [1-24-18] to block work requirements and other changes to Kentucky’s Medicaid program, setting up a legal battle that could help define the limits of the conservative push to revamp the program in about a dozen states. The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Washington, […]

Read More… from 1/24/2018

1/19/2018

HEALTHCARE/HHS/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PLANNED PARENTHOOD: “U.S. health officials on Friday [1-19-18] said they were revoking legal guidance issued by the Obama Administration that had sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services, such as Planned Parenthood. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials also said the department is issuing a […]

Read More… from 1/19/2018

1/18/2018

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump blew up Republican strategies to keep the government open past Friday [1-12-18] when on Thursday morning he said a long-term extension of the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program should not be part of a stopgap spending bill pending before the House. With a possible government shutdown looming this weekend, the […]

Read More… from 1/18/2018

1/10/2018

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Early last year, as an Obamacare repeal bill was flailing in the House, top Trump administration officials showed select House conservatives a secret road map of how they planned to gut the health care law using executive authority. The March 23 document, which had not been public until now, reveals that while […]

Read More… from 1/10/2018

1/10/2018

BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Some states risk running out of money for a children’s health program in a countdown that is pressuring Congress to approve new money quickly, part of a continuing funding delay that has turned a little-known insurance program into an unwelcome embarrassment for Congress. Democrats and Republicans agree on the need to preserve funding for […]

Read More… from 1/10/2018

1/4/2018

BUSINESS/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is proposing changes that would let millions of small businesses and the self-employed buy health-insurance plans that don’t comply with all Affordable Care Act requirements, part of an aggressive move to undo the health law through regulatory action. The proposal would allow businesses that share geography or an […]

Read More… from 1/4/2018

12/26/2017

DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Affordable Care Act was conceived as a mix of publicly funded health care and privately purchased insurance, but Republican attacks, culminating this month in the death of a mandate that most Americans have insurance, are shifting the balance, giving the government a larger role than Democrats ever anticipated. And while President […]

Read More… from 12/26/2017

12/26/2017

DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 26, 2017 06:58am […]

Read More… from 12/26/2017

12/20/2017

HEALTHCARE/HOUSE OF REPS/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “The United States Senate just passed the biggest in history Tax Cut and Reform Bill. Terrible Individual Mandate (ObamaCare)Repealed. Goes to the House tomorrow morning for final vote. If approved, there will be a News Conference at The White House at approximately 1:00 P.M.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Dec. 20, 2017 01:09am […]

Read More… from 12/20/2017

12/19/2017

BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “With more and more states running out of money for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, parents took their case to Capitol Hill on Tuesday [12-19-17], pleading with Congress to provide money before their sons and daughters lose health care and coverage. But the program, known as CHIP, which insures nearly nine million children, took […]

Read More… from 12/19/2017

12/19/2017

BUDGET/DEFENSE/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “The U.S. Congress is struggling through another contentious week as infighting over defense spending, healthcare and other matters complicates the drive to pass a temporary spending bill by midnight on Friday [12-22-17] to avert a partial government shutdown. In a week when President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress are hoping to […]

Read More… from 12/19/2017

12/15/2017

BUDGET/DEMS/GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Everyone in Congress claims to be a champion of children’s health. But funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program ran out Sept. 30. And some lawmakers worry it might not be replenished until early next year. It’s a mess that can happen only in Washington: Even a bipartisan program that covers 9 million poor […]

Read More… from 12/15/2017

12/6/2017

BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “The pace of U.S. health-care spending grew in 2016 at a slower tempo than in previous years, decelerating in part because coverage gains under the Affordable Care Act that had propelled the faster rate leveled off, according to a new federal report. Spending on all health care increased 4.3% in 2016, according to a […]

Read More… from 12/6/2017

11/29/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “When Senate Republicans entered the final stages of the health care push earlier this year, it was clearly on its last legs. At least two senators had made it known that they had no real intention of voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and Republican leaders were casting about for something — anything […]

Read More… from 11/29/2017

11/23/2017

DEMS/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “ObamaCare premiums are going up, up, up, just as I have been predicting for two years. ObamaCare is OWNED by the Democrats, and it is a disaster. But do not worry. Even though the Dems want to Obstruct, we will Repeal & Replace right after Tax Cuts!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 23, […]

Read More… from 11/23/2017

11/17/2017

HEALTHCARE/HHS/OBAMACARE(ACA): “The next head of the Department of Health and Human Services will be handed an agency facing criticism from state officials and internal strife. HHS, which employs about 80,000 people, oversees Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and such agencies as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It has been caught up in […]

Read More… from 11/17/2017

11/16/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation said on Thursday [11-16-17] that the latest version of the Senate tax bill would effectively raise taxes for lower-income Americans by 2021. An analysis by the nonpartisan committee projected that, if the Senate bill becomes law, Americans earning $30,000 a year or below would pay higher taxes beginning […]

Read More… from 11/16/2017

11/15/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/TAXES: “Senator Susan Collins is back in the spotlight as a crucial swing vote in the U.S. Senate as she raises questions about how combining a Republican tax-cut plan with a partial repeal of Obamacare will affect middle-class Americans. A day after Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell decided to link the two issues in a […]

Read More… from 11/15/2017

11/14/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “Senate Republicans have decided to include the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that most people have health insurance into the sprawling tax rewrite, merging the fight over health care with the high-stakes effort to cut taxes. They also have made a calculated gamble to help speed their bill to passage on a […]

Read More… from 11/14/2017

11/14/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “Senate Republicans signaled Tuesday [11-14-17] they would seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act requirement that most Americans must have insurance coverage as part of their tax-overhaul package, adding an uncertain element to an already complex legislative effort. The package is expected to be released later Tuesday. GOP Senate members met to discuss the […]

Read More… from 11/14/2017

11/12/2017

HEALTHCARE/MEDICARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “The Affordable Care Act required Medicare to penalize hospitals with high numbers of heart failure patients who returned for treatment shortly after discharge. New research shows that penalty was associated with fewer readmissions, but also higher rates of death among that patient group. The researchers said the study results, being published in JAMA Cardiology, […]

Read More… from 11/12/2017

11/9/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Heading into the second week of the Affordable Care Act’s annual open-enrollment period, early sign-ups and traffic appear strong, according to industry and government officials, with more than 600,000 people selecting plans through the federal HealthCare.gov website in the initial days. ACA insurers including Highmark Health, CareSource, Independence Blue Cross and Sanford Health Plan […]

Read More… from 11/9/2017

11/9/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Heading into the second week of the Affordable Care Act’s annual open-enrollment period, early sign-ups and traffic appear strong, according to industry and government officials, with more than 600,000 people selecting plans through the federal HealthCare.gov website in the initial days. ACA insurers including Highmark Health, CareSource, Independence Blue Cross and Sanford […]

Read More… from 11/9/2017

11/1/2017

HEALTHCARE/MEDICARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration said it is slashing a lucrative pharmaceutical subsidy Medicare pays some hospitals, prompting the American Hospital Association and other powerful hospital groups to threaten legal action to block the move. In a rule released Wednesday [11-1-17] evening, the federal agency that runs Medicare said it would sharply lower what […]

Read More… from 11/1/2017

11/1/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TAXES: “Wouldn’t it be great to Repeal the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate in ObamaCare and use those savings for further Tax Cuts… for the Middle Class. The House and Senate should consider ASAP as the process of final approval moves along. Push Biggest Tax Cuts EVER” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Nov. 1, 2017 09:59am […]

Read More… from 11/1/2017

11/1/2017

HEALTHCARE/MEDICARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico, still reeling from Hurricane Maria, is asking the Trump administration and U.S. lawmakers for help in staving off a Medicaid crisis that has put a quarter of the island’s residents at risk of losing medical care. The territory, which has grappled for years with shortfalls in funding of its Medicaid healthcare […]

Read More… from 11/1/2017

11/1/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Consumers will begin signing up Wednesday [11-1-17] to take part in the Affordable Care Act next year, kicking off a crucial six-week stretch that could test the law’s durability amid Republican leaders’ continuing desire to see it repealed. This year’s annual open-enrollment period, the fifth in the ACA’s history, faces more uncertainty […]

Read More… from 11/1/2017

10/30/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Dozens of insurers are leaving the Affordable Care Act’s federal insurance exchange, and consumers who don’t get premium help will see some rates for popular plans jump by more than 30% next year, according to a Trump administration report released Monday [10-30-17]. The data, which come just before Wednesday’s launch of open […]

Read More… from 10/30/2017

10/27/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Insurers selling Affordable Care Act plans have a compelling new pitch: free health insurance. When sales of plans on the law’s exchanges begin Nov. 1, a growing number of consumers around the country will be able to get coverage for 2018 without paying any monthly premium, according to health insurers and an analysis of […]

Read More… from 10/27/2017

10/25/2017

CALIFORNIA/HEALTHCARE/LEGAL/OBAMACARE(ACA): “A California federal judge on Wednesday [10-25-17] said he wouldn’t force the Trump administration to continue paying insurers for providing health-coverage discounts to lower-income consumers, a blow to Democrats who fear the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges will crater without the funding. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco said the case was ‘close […]

Read More… from 10/25/2017

10/25/2017

BUDGET/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “A bipartisan bill to stabilize Obamacare would cut the federal deficit by $3.8 billion but wouldn’t do much to change health insurance premiums for 2018, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. It would not substantially change the number of people who are covered. The report is about the bipartisan bill […]

Read More… from 10/25/2017

10/23/2017

GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Republicans returning to Washington will decide in coming days whether to embrace or set aside a bipartisan health bill that has gained traction in Congress, a decision potentially made harder by President Donald Trump’s statements praising the effort but opposing the bill itself. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said on Sunday [10-22-17] […]

Read More… from 10/23/2017

10/23/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Iowa is withdrawing its application for an ambitious program to reshape the Affordable Care Act after federal officials laid out tough conditions for its approval, a decision that signals limits to states’ efforts to alter parts of the health law. Iowa had applied for federal permission to move forward under a provision of the […]

Read More… from 10/23/2017

10/22/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Consumer groups and some state officials, facing new pressure to show the Affordable Care Act remains in place after President Donald Trump declared it dead, have begun launching urgent outreach programs to sign people up for health coverage during the coming open-enrollment period. The ACA’s fifth open-enrollment season, which this year runs […]

Read More… from 10/22/2017

10/20/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s reversals in the past week on maintaining Obamacare subsidies to insurers are sowing new confusion over what kind of health insurance will be available to consumers, and at what price, when enrollment for 2018 begins in two weeks. Trump said last week his administration would stop paying billions of […]

Read More… from 10/20/2017

10/19/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS: “Sens. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D., Wash.) released their bipartisan bill Thursday [10-19-17] with the backing of 22 additional senators, evenly split between the two parties. Acknowledging the challenge of advancing legislation currently opposed by Mr. Trump, both senators said they were open to working with the president to strengthen it… […]

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10/18/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A bipartisan proposal on health care teetered Wednesday [10-18-17] after President Donald Trump withdrew his support and conservative GOP lawmakers said it didn’t do enough to roll back the Affordable Care Act. The two senators behind the deal, Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D., Wash.), remained publicly upbeat about the […]

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10/18/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump Wednesday [10-18-17] morning said he would ‘never support bailing out’ health insurance companies — an ominous sign for the Obamacare deal crafted by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.)… It would be all but impossible for Republicans lawmakers to support the deal — let alone bring it […]

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10/17/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS: “Two leading senators have reached a bipartisan deal to provide funding for critical subsidies to health insurers that President Trump said last week that he would cut off, Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, said Tuesday [10-17-17]. The plan agreed to by Mr. Alexander and Senator Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat, is intended […]

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10/17/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS: “Two key senators reached a bipartisan agreement Tuesday [10-17-17] aimed at shoring up the Affordable Care Act and lifting some of the health law’s requirements, drawing support from President Donald Trump who called it a ‘short-term deal.’ While some details are still being completed, the proposal by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Patty […]

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10/16/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the Trump administration takes steps to weaken provisions of the Affordable Care Act, voters in Maine are being asked whether the state should embrace a central plank of the 2010 law. The November statewide ballot measure proposes the state accept enhanced federal funding available under the health law to extend Medicaid […]

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10/15/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The House won a major institutional victory over the White House on health care spending last week, but it wasn’t really a fair fight in the end. The Trump administration capitulated in a long-running legal dispute over health insurance subsidies paid out under the Affordable Care Act, concurring with House Republicans’ claim […]

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10/15/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate this week will grapple with President Donald Trump’s decision to stop making subsidy payments to health insurers, with lawmakers seeking a deal that would keep the money flowing while Republicans try to fold in conservative-oriented health-care priorities… The result, driven by unexpectedly far-reaching moves by Mr. Trump on health care […]

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10/15/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump will hurt low-income Americans by doing away with Obamacare subsidies and make it harder for him to engage in bipartisan talks with Democrats as Congress edges toward a possible government shutdown, lawmakers said on Sunday. The White House has announced that the Republican administration will stop paying billions […]

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10/13/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Money pouring into Insurance Companies profits, under the guise of ObamaCare, is over. They have made a fortune. Dems must get smart & deal!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 13, 2017 08:10pm […]

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10/13/2017

HEALTHCARE/HHS/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration will end billions of dollars in payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act program, but President Donald Trump has privately told at least one lawmaker that the payments may continue if a bipartisan deal is reached on heath care, according to people familiar with the matter on Capitol […]

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10/12/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. (a) It shall be the policy of the executive branch, to the extent consistent with law, to facilitate the purchase of insurance across […]

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10/11/2017

HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: “President Donald Trump is planning to sign an executive order Thursday [10-12-17] to initiate the unwinding of the Affordable Care Act, paving the way for sweeping changes to health-insurance regulations by instructing agencies to allow the sale of less-comprehensive health plans to expand. Mr. Trump, using his authority to accomplish […]

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