Long before Republican lawmakers unveiled their legislative efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, supporters of this movement had talked up “health savings accounts” (HSAs) and how crucial they would be to any eventual Obamacare replacement. What these lawmakers and policy makers often skip over is what an HSA actually is, and whether expanding the use of HSAs will really help most Americans. [More]
affordable care act
What Are Health Savings Accounts & Why Are They A Big Part Of Obamacare Replacement Plan?
By 3.14.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Highlights From The House Debate On Tanning Tax That Turned Into A Sideshow
By 3.9.17 — Updated: 3.10.17
Among the lesser-discussed points of the Affordable Care Act repeal and replace legislation is a move to get rid of a 10% tax on the use of tanning salons. Why is this suddenly an issue, and how did it cause the House Ways and Means Committee’s discussion of the bill to devolve into a sideshow, complete with debates on the merits of ice cream and Spain’s tax on the sun? [More]
Hospital, Doctors Groups Say They Can’t Support Current Obamacare Replacement Proposal
By 3.8.17
People are still dissecting and deciding where they come down in response to the recently proposed legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Yesterday, two of the largest groups in the American healthcare business advised lawmakers that they are not thrilled with what they’ve seen so far. [More]
Key Players Give Their Opinions — For And Against — On GOP’s Obamacare Replacement
By 3.7.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
After years of railing against the Affordable Care Act and calling for its repeal, and following weeks of secrecy, coyness, and treasure hunts around Capitol Hill, GOP lawmakers have finally proposed this much-awaited legislation. Now that it’s out there, what are folks from all sides of the political spectrum saying? [More]
Congressional Committees Release Text Of Obamacare Repeal & Replacement Bills
By 3.6.17 — Updated: 3.7.17
The piece of legislation that has been the hottest ticket in D.C. — the GOP effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act — is beginning to take shape, with the release by the House Committee On Energy & Commerce and the House Ways & Means Committee of their proposals to undo the healthcare reform legislation. [More]
Members Of Congress Literally Chasing Each Other Around Capitol Hill Trying To Find Text Of Obamacare Repeal Bill
By 3.2.17 — Updated: 3.3.17
Since Nov. 8, 2016, Congressional Republicans and the White House have said they would immediately move to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but apart from some leaked details, no concrete legislation has surfaced. A draft bill reportedly exists, but it’s not just being kept from public view; lawmakers from both parties are desperately scrambling to get a peek at the text. [More]
Report: Obamacare Replacement Will Likely Cover Fewer Americans
By 2.24.17
So far, the only thing the White House has said about its plans to replace the Affordable Care Act is that it would provide “insurance for everyone” and that people would be “beautifully covered,” but comments coming out of Washington indicate that not everyone will be able to obtain coverage under the replacement plan. [More]
Humana Leaves Exchange, Will Not Sell Individual ACA Health Care Plans For 2018
By 2.15.17
The challenge of purchasing individual health insurance is about to get even more challenging, with less competition and less choice, for consumers in nearly a dozen states. Humana, one of the four national-level insurers operating in the country, has announced that it’s quitting the marketplace exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act next year. [More]
Hospitals To Congress: Keep Obamacare Or Restore Billions In Payments To Cover Uninsured
By 2.6.17
When a patient shows up to the emergency room needing immediate life-saving surgery, they are going to receive treatment whether they have insurance or not. With both Congress and the White House pushing for repeal of the Affordable Care Act, hospital administrators are telling lawmakers they will need to restore billions of dollars a year in federal funding to hospitals to cover the costs of treating uninsured and low-income patients. [More]
Trump Executive Order Directs Federal Agencies To Scale Back Obamacare; Could Remove Individual Mandate
By 1.21.17 — Updated: 2.24.17
One of President Trump’s first acts in the Oval Office on Friday was to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to scale back on enforcing and implementing the Affordable Care Act wherever they can, while the new administration and Congress work on dismantling the 2010 law. [More]
3 Benefits Your Employer-Sponsored Health Care Could Lose After Obamacare Repeal
By 1.19.17
With the House and Senate moving forward with their plan to disassemble the Affordable Care Act through a budget resolution, much of the focus has been on the millions of people who would be affected by losing insurance that they purchase directly through an exchange. However, the ACA also has a number of aspects that benefit Americans who receive insurance through their employer, some of which could be at risk if the law is repealed. [More]
Report: Affordable Care Act Repeal Could Increase Rates, Leave 18 Million Without Coverage After First Year
By 1.17.17
Last week, both the House and Senate took the first steps toward dismantling the Affordable Care Act. This morning, a review by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concluded that one approach to repealing this law would result in millions of additional uninsured Americans and higher rates for those with insurance. [More]
House Joins Senate In Taking First Step Toward Affordable Care Act Repeal
By 1.13.17
About 36 hours after the U.S. Senate narrowly voted to approve a budget resolution that gets the ball rolling on repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the House of Representatives has also okayed the resolution by a vote that largely — but not unanimously — followed party lines. [More]
Senate Takes First Step Toward Repealing Affordable Care Act
By 1.12.17
In the early hours of Thursday morning, the U.S. Senate voted — largely along party lines — on a resolution instructing multiple legislative committees to begin the process of disassembling the 7-year-old Affordable Care Act. [More]
States That Expanded Medicaid Hope To Keep It Under Trump Administration
By 11.28.16
There’s no way to tap-dance around this one: healthcare access is an incredibly politicized and partisan issue in this country. And yet even while our two major political parties disagree vehemently, at every level, about whether existing healthcare laws are effective or worthwhile, at least one part now proving popular in a surprisingly bipartisan way. [More]
Aetna Quitting Health Insurance Exchanges In 11 States
By 8.16.16
The basic principle behind the Affordable Care Act was that by requiring all Americans to have health insurance, people would pay for insurance even when they weren’t sick, making the risk pool bigger and letting insurers cover more services and people who are already sick. Insurance companies say that it isn’t working out that way, though. Insurance giant Aetna announced that it will leave individual insurance exchanges in 11 out of the 15 states where it does business. [More]
Supreme Court To Hear Another Challenge To Affordable Care Act Contraception Rules
By 11.6.15
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear its fourth challenge to the five-year-old Affordable Care Act — and the second challenge involving the law’s requirement that employers provide insurance that includes coverage for female workers who choose to use birth control. [More]
How American Health Insurance Policy Affects A Swiss Breast Pump Maker
By 10.15.15
Back in 2013, the business model for Medela, a Swiss company that makes human milk pumps and accessories changed in the United States, when health insurers were required to pay for breast pumps for customers who choose to pump milk. However, the process has been more complicated than just latching on and extracting money from health insurers. [More]
