Scholar: Medicare growth is not the real problem

A prominent scholar says that Medicare will not be saved either by vouchers backed by Republican congressional majorities or the national health-care overhaul achieved under Democratic President Barack Obama. Theodore Marmor, who is making several stops in Oregon, says the ideal of Medicare for all - universal coverage based on the 50-year-old federal program of health insurance for people 65 and older - rests on stemming medical cost increases and setting limits for medical care.

Calif. asks to let undocumented adults buy insurance

In a move that is sure to draw the ire of Republicans, California officials are asking the Obama administration this week to approve a plan that would allow undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance on the state's public exchange. Officials say up to 30 percent of the state's 2 million undocumented adults could be eligible for the program, and about 17,000 people are expected to participate in the first year, if the plan is approved.

Mark Murphy: The Affordable Care Act: A report card for 2016

The Patient Care and Affordable Care Act, a legislative mandate commonly known as "Obamacare," was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Its stated goals were to increase health insurance quality and affordability, lower the uninsured rate by expanding insurance coverage and reduce the overall costs of health care.

Mental Health Parity: NAMI Tells Congress that Enforcement of Federal Law is Needed; NAMI Study Cited

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is calling for legislation to ensure enforcement of the 2008 federal mental health insurance "parity" law and expanded coverage under the 2009 Affordable Care Act. While significant progress has been made, people living with mental illness continue to encounter significant barriers in getting necessary mental health services covered in health insurance, " declared NAMI CEO Mary Giliberti in a letter to Health Subcommittee Chair Joe Pitts and Ranking Member Gene Green NAMI cited its 2015 report, "A Long Road Ahead ," based on a survey of approximately 3,000 health care consumers and analysis of 84 insurance plans in 15 states.

Gov’t survey confirms slowdown in US health insurance gains

In this March 23, 2010, file photo, President Barack Obama signs the health care bill in the East Room of the White House in Washington. With the nation still divided over "Obamacare," President Barack Obama is laying out a blueprint for addressing unsolved problems with his signature health law, including a renewed call for a "public option" to let Americans buy insurance from the government.

Obamacare Undermined By Its Deal To Allow Profits for Insurance…

There have been dozens if not hundreds of news articles about Aetna leaving the Affordable Health Care Act's online marketplaces in eleven states, and whether this signals serious problems for Obamacare down the road. But none of them have truly explained that what's happening with Aetna is the consequence of a flaw built into Obamacare from the start: It permits insurance companies to make a profit on the basic healthcare package Americans are now legally required to purchase.

Prices up, choices down on Illinois health insurance market

CHICAGO – Higher prices and fewer choices on the Illinois marketplace under President Barack Obama's health insurance law will make choosing a plan for 2017 a potentially frustrating experience for families who buy their own coverage, according to information released Wednesday by the Illinois Department of Insurance. Statewide, an average price increase of 43 percent is ahead for a popular type of middle-tier coverage used as a benchmark under the health law, the department said.

Can Clinton save health overhaul from its mounting problems?

With the hourglass running out for his administration, President Barack Obama's health care law is struggling in many parts of the country. Double-digit premium increases and exits by big-name insurers have caused some to wonder whether "Obamacare" will go down as a failed experiment.

Repeal or retain? Election opens final act for ‘Obamacare’

Election Day 2016 will raise the curtain on the final act in the nation's long-running political drama over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. "We have an obligation to the people who voted for us to proceed with 'repeal and replace,'" said Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican.

Repeal or retain? Election opens final act for a Obamacarea

Election Day 2016 will raise the curtain on the final act in the nation's long-running political drama over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. "We have an obligation to the people who voted for us to proceed with 'repeal and replace,'" said Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican.

Single-Payer Will End Religious Rights

U.S. District Judge Jean Hamilton ruled last week that the federal government cannot force Paul and Teresa Wieland - an American mom and dad - to violate their religious beliefs by compelling them to purchase a health insurance plan that covers sterilizations, contraceptives, and abortion-inducing drugs and devices. But in making the Obama administration's case that the government should be able to do so, lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department made a telling claim: A single-payer health care system would effectively put a stop to such arguments in defense of religious liberty.

Court Decision Leaves Undocumented Immigrants’ Health Care Options In Limbo

Erica Torres is one of the estimated 1.4 million Californians who live without health insurance largely because they are undocumented. She was hopeful when President Barack Obama expanded deportation-relief programs for undocumented immigrants - a controversial move that would have put government-subsidized health care within her reach.