Trump appointee who called Muslims ‘maggots’ booted from DOE

A massage therapist with no apparent experience of energy policy was terminated from the Department of Energy after it was revealed that he has a habit of making racially charged comments about Muslims and former President Barack Obama over social media. After working as a Trump campaign operative in New Hampshire, Sid Bowdidge was employed as an “assistant” to Energy Secretary Rick Perry shortly after President Trump’s inauguration, despite having no relevant experience, two employees at the nuclear weapons agency told BuzzFeed News on Friday .

Legislatorsa pay raise

An independent council, created by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, will raise state lawmakers’ salary from $31,100 to $45,000. Lawmakers pay has not risen for nearly two decades.

Governor Cuomo Announces Impact of American Health Care Act

Department of Health analysis of the House Republican’s American Health Care Act has confirmed that the proposed legislation would put the health care coverage of more than 1 million New Yorkers in significant jeopardy. Albany, NY – March 9, 2017 – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a Department of Health analysis of the House Republican’s American Health Care Act has confirmed that the proposed legislation would put the health care coverage of more than 1 million New Yorkers in significant jeopardy.

Conservatives support Medicaid changes to Obamacare plan

An influential bloc of House conservatives backed two proposed changes to the Obamacare replacement plan Thursday, saying it could soften their general opposition to the broader GOP proposal. The Republican Study Committee, which boasts roughly 170 members, wants to freeze Medicaid enrollment under Obamacare’s generous funding rates at the end of this year, rather than letting states herd more people into expanded programs until 2020.

The Latest: Conservatives say Trump open to GOP bill fixes

The Latest on the health care debate as Congress begins work on a GOP-drafted overhaul : A group of conservative leaders say after a meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that the administration is willing to make changes to the Republican legislation to repeal and replace the health care law. Club for Growth President David McIntosh says he was encouraged that Trump “indicated they’re pushing to make changes in the bill.”

Gov. Walker calls GOP’s health care plan ‘work in progress’

Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker called his party’s proposal to overhaul the nation’s health care system “a work in progress” and says he expects it will change as it moves through Congress. Walker said Wednesday he and other governors have “tried to have significant impact” on the bill and will continue lobbying even if “not everything that we advocated for is necessarily” in what Republicans proposed this week.

Republican governors complain about GOP health care plan

Republican governors complain that a GOP proposal to replace former President Barack Obama’s health care law would force millions of lower-income earners off insurance rolls or stick states with the cost of keeping them covered. Governors, especially those from political battleground states, were generally cool to the bill put forth in the Republican-controlled U.S. House.

Lady Liberty goes dark in unplanned outage

… San Diego Unified School Board to take action and kick the teacher out of the classroom. Sore throats are a common health issue right now. The Nurse Practitioners at CVS Minute Clinic recommended you don’t forget some time tested natural remedies …

Dayton to spend 1 more day at Mayo after prostate surgery

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will spend one more day at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. Spokesman Linden Zakula on Saturday said that the governor’s surgery was a success and the surgeon found no sign that the cancer had spread beyond the prostate.

Single Payer Now Possible in California

David Lazarus: Could California have its own single-payer health insurance system providing coverage for all residents? A bill has been introduced in the state Legislature that would do just that — and its chances of success could be vastly improved by President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. Thanks, guys! First, a little history lesson.

Before speech ambush, Horizon offered Christie $135M ‘partnership’

TRENTON — In the days before Gov. Chris Christie pressured Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to share some of its “abundant surplus” to fund drug treatment programs, the state’s largest health insurance company had extended an olive branch to the governor, NJ Advance Media has learned. According to three sources with knowledge of the negotiations, Horizon’s proposed $135 million to fund drug treatment and other health programs for the poor.

Trump’s nominee to run Medicare and Medicaid advances

President Donald Trump ‘s nominee to run Medicare and Medicaid won committee approval Thursday, clearing her for a final floor vote in the Senate. Verma would head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency that oversees health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans.

Governor Cuomo Announces Action to Expand Cutting-Edge Breast Cancer Screening Options For Women

Governor Cuomo announced that health insurers are required under New York Insurance Law to provide medically necessary coverage for 3-D mammograms without co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles. Albany, NY – February 28, 2017 – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that health insurers are required under New York Insurance Law to provide medically necessary coverage for 3-D mammograms without co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.

Democrats in speech rebuttal say Trump will ‘rip’ away care

In this Dec. 1, 2015 file photo, then-Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear speaks in Louisville, Ky. Beshear took a populist tenor in Democrats’ formal response to President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, accusing him of planning to “rip affordable health insurance” from Americans and being “Wall Street’s champion.”

Hiking cigarette tax could inhibit smoking

To continue reading up to 10 premium articles, you must register , or sign up and take advantage of this exclusive offer: I thought David Collins was joking when I first started reading, “ Dan Malloy’s cruelest tax ,” , which is a proposal to raise cigarette taxes 45 cents a pack. I really thought it was a joke when I read, “Some studies show that some poor, addicted cigarette smokers pay up to 25 percent of their income on smoking,” and that by raising cigarette taxes would tie Connecticut with New York for the highest in the country at $4.35 a pack, targeting the people who can least afford it, addicts no less.

Ciattarelli launches attack on Murphy, Guadagno

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who scaled back his campaign while undergoing cancer treatment, said Tuesday he’s now cured and he’s citing his treatment in a political attack on two opponents. Ciattarelli launches political attack on Murphy, Guadagno Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who scaled back his campaign while undergoing cancer treatment, said Tuesday he’s now cured and he’s citing his treatment in a political attack on two opponents.

California dreaming: Legislature to take up single-payer system

Both Colorado and Vermont gamed out the possibilities of a single-payer health care system, only to discover that it would create a fiscal nightmare . Colorado voters shot it down , while Vermont governor Peter Shumlin had to cancel his own campaign pledge after studies showed that budgets couldn’t possibly keep up with costs.

Trump Promises `Something Special’ on Health Care Before Speech

President Donald Trump said his address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday will offer “something special” on his health-care overhaul efforts, as his administration gets increasingly involved with Republican plans to repeal and replace Obamacare. “We’re going to be talking about it tomorrow night during the speech,” Trump said during a meeting with top U.S. health insurance CEOs Monday at the White House.

a It saved my lifea : Talk of Obamacare repeal worries addicts

While the Affordable Care Act has brought health coverage to millions of Americans, the effects have been profound, even lifesaving, for some of those caught up in the nation’s opioid-addiction crisis. In Kentucky, which has been ravaged worse than almost any other state by fentanyl, heroin and other drugs, Tyler Witten went into rehab at Medicaid’s expense after the state expanded the program under a provision of the act.

Report outlines potential impact of healthcare reform on Medicaid

A sobering report to governors about the potential consequences of repealing the Obama-era health care law warns that federal spending cuts probably would create funding gaps for states and threaten many people with the loss of insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act has two main components for expanding coverage: subsidized private health insurance available in all 50 states, and an optional Medicaid expansion that has been accepted by 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Report warns of state money fallout from health law repeal

A sobering report to governors about the potential consequences of repealing the Obama-era health care law warns that federal spending cuts probably would create funding gaps for states and threaten many people with the loss of insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act has two main components for expanding coverage: subsidized private health insurance available in all 50 states, and an optional Medicaid expansion that has been accepted by 31 states and the District of Columbia.