State AGa s lawsuit wona t fix Obamacare a ” we need a health care solution that works for everyone

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is wasting his time and state taxpayers' money by joining 15 other Democratic attorneys general in a desperate effort to preserve Obamacare, says Columnist Dr. Roger Stark of the Washington Policy Center. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is wasting his time and state taxpayers' money by joining 15 other Democratic attorneys general in a desperate effort to preserve Obamacare, says Columnist Dr. Roger Stark of the Washington Policy Center.

Liberal tilt in some primaries a sign of Democratic fervor

Democratic primary voters have chosen decidedly liberal candidates in several closely watched congressional primary elections, a sign that the left is driving much of Democrats' enthusiasm and may be winning the tug of war with moderates over the direction of the party. In Omaha, Democrat Kara Eastman edged out veteran moderate Brad Ashford by casting herself as a progressive in Nebraska's lone urban district, supporting single-payer, government-run health insurance and a ban on assault weapons.

Thanks to Republican Tax Cuts, Obamacare is No Longer Constitutional

In one of its most controversial decisions, the Supreme Court in 2012 upheld the constitutionality of a provision in the Affordable Care Act mandating individuals purchase qualifying health insurance or else pay a fine, with Chief Justice John Roberts casting the deciding vote in favor of the law. However, nearly , a provision included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed mostly along party lines in December 2017, may soon force Roberts to reevaluate his decision, potentially ending the health care law without a single vote being cast in Congress.

White House Requests Cuts to Children’s Health Insurance Funding

The White House is seeking to cut funding from the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, as part of its larger request for cuts to the federal budget in a rescissions package sent to Congress this week . The request from President Donald Trump includes a $7 billion cut to the popular program, part of $15 billion in overall cuts.

Michigan may be next to set Medicaid work, training rules

Four years after agreeing to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income adults, Michigan Republicans want an estimated 350,000 enrollees who are not working to get a job - or, at the very least, to start preparing to enter the labor force. Their aim is threefold: to rein in a massive, costly government health insurance program they say has grown far beyond its basic mission, to help businesses fill job openings and to reinforce the importance of work for abled-bodied people.

How Arkansas Republican primary voters learned to stop worrying and love Obamacare

Don't miss Jay Barth's column in this week's Arkansas Times on the evolution of opinion on Medicaid expansion among Arkansas GOP voters. Barth digs in to a doozy of a finding in a recent Talk Business poll, one I also noted last week : A substantial plurality of Arkansas Republican primary voters now support Medicaid expansion.

Exclusive – As elections near, many older, educated, white voters shift away from Trump’s party

Older, white, educated voters helped Donald Trump win the White House in 2016. Now, they are trending towards Democrats in such numbers that their ballots could tip the scales in tight congressional races from New Jersey to California, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll and a data analysis of competitive districts shows.

Iowa governor signs law allowing health plans that skirt ACA

Iowa will allow people to buy a cheaper form of health insurance that skirts Affordable Care Act rules, under legislation signed into law Monday by the state's Republican governor. The law will allow Iowa's Farm Bureau to partner with a designated insurance company to offer so-called health benefit plans that technically aren't defined as insurance.

Library to host anniversary event for insurance program

The Philippi Public Library will host an exhibition and reception honoring the 20th anniversary of the Children's Health Insurance Program from 5 to 7 p.m. March 20. The intent of the exhibit and programming is not to advocate for or against CHIP or any political viewpoint but to share information about the program with the public.

Dave Solomon’s State House Dome: Medicaid number in dispute

Republican leaders in the state legislature last week unveiled their long-awaited proposal to continue the expansion of Medicaid in New Hampshire, hoping to continue government-funded health insurance for the 50,000 or so Granite Staters who've come on board since eligibility was expanded as part of Obamacare.

Idaho says no Obamacare needed for some new insurance plans

Concerned about soaring health care costs, Idaho on Wednesday revealed a plan that will allow insurance companies to sell cheap policies that ditch key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. It's believed to be the first state to take formal steps without prior federal approval for creating policies that do not comply with the Obama-era health care law.

Work requirements may prompt more states to expand Medicaid

In an ironic twist, the Trump administration's embrace of work requirements for low-income people on Medicaid is prompting lawmakers in some conservative states to resurrect plans to expand health care for the poor. Trump's move has been widely criticized as threatening the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.

Oregon approves new taxes to address Medicaid costs

Oregon approved taxes on hospitals, health insurers and managed care companies in an unusual special election Tuesday that asked voters - and not lawmakers - how to pay for Medicaid costs that now include coverage of hundreds of thousands of low-income residents added to the program's rolls under the Affordable Care Act. Measure 101 was passing handily in early returns Tuesday night.