D.C. officials vow to fight for uninsured if Obamacare repeal passes

D.C. officials have vowed not to leave the city's most vulnerable residents without health insurance if Congress repeals the Affordable Care Act, despite the possibility of a $623 million shortfall for health care in the District. As the chairman of the D.C. Council's newly formed Health Committee, Vincent Gray is uniquely positioned to take the lead in dealing with the aftermath of a dismantled ACA in the District.

Richard Neal’s moment has arrived

A low-key, behind-the-scenes, let's-get-a-deal-done type, the Springfield lawmaker is now the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, which means he will be one of the minority party's point people in critiquing Republican proposals and arguing for Democratic alternatives. As Republicans prepare to repeal Obamacare, Neal frames things this way: "The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security are all linked," and all essential to the middle class.

Republicans aim to defund Planned Parenthood via Obamacare repeal

US Republicans will seek to defund US women's health care provider Planned Parenthood through a bill that repeals President Barack Obama's landmark health care reform, the top Republican in Congress said Thursday. "Planned Parenthood legislation would be in our reconciliation bill," House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters when asked how his party would attempt to defund the organization now that the White House and both chambers of Congress will be in Republican hands when Donald Trump is inaugurated president on January 20. Reconciliation is a special congressional procedure by which legislation can bypass Senate blocking tactics and need only a simply majority to pass, rather than a 60-vote supermajority in the 100-member chamber.

GOP House panel: Halt federal money for Planned Parenthood

A Republican-run House panel created to investigate Planned Parenthood and the world of fetal tissue research urged Congress on Wednesday to halt federal payments to the women's health organization. Democrats said the GOP probe had unearthed no wrongdoing and wasted taxpayers' money in an abusive investigation reminiscent of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

Republicans already jittery about quick Obamacare repeal

Republicans are just getting started on their years-long dream of repealing Obamacare, and already, there are fears that things are moving too fast. Some Republicans are cautioning against repealing the Affordable Care Act too quickly and urging the party take the foot off the accelerator.

With options limited, Obama to rally Dems on health care

President Barack Obama, anxious to preserve elements of his signature health law, travels to Capitol Hill Wednesday in a bid to fend off Republican efforts to repeal the measure outright. During his morning huddle with congressional Democrats, Obama plans to argue that a robust defense of the Affordable Care Act by lawmakers could help deter the promised GOP effort to scrap it as soon as Donald Trump takes office.

Republicans primed for push to dismantle Obama’s policies40 minutes ago

Members of the 115th Congress will be sworn in at noon Tuesday, setting off an aggressive campaign by Republicans who control the House and Senate to dismantle eight years of President Barack Obama's Democratic policies. One of the biggest and most immediate targets is Obama's Affordable Care Act, which many Republicans have long sought to gut and has been blamed as a primary cause for a lackluster economic recovery.

I’m a former healthcare insurance CEO – here’s why the Obamacare ‘Repeal and Replace’ won’t work

There's a joke among insurers that there are two things that health insurance companies hate to do - take risks and pay claims. But, of course, these are the essence of their business! Yet, if they do too much of either, they will go broke, and if they do too little, their customers will find a better policy.

Federal Judge Halts Transgender Protections in Obamacare

A federal judge halted protections for transgender individuals that were found in the Affordable Care Act, issuing the injunction just a day before the safeguards would go into effect. US District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas halted the protections for their treatments and for abortion-related services, siding with the state of Texas against the Obama administration on Saturday.

Surprise! Republicans Could Be on the Verge of Dismantling Medicare

House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders have big plans to save Medicare that would involve a major overhaul to the program, including privatization. Even though most Republicans are on board, Ryan and others in favor of his plans are likely to face significant opposition to such a sweeping overhaul.

UPDATE 1-U.S. scrambles to clear egg exports to bird flu-hit Korea

U.S. officials are urgently seeking an agreement with South Korea that would allow imports of American eggs so farmers can cash in on a shortage caused by the Asian country's worst-ever outbreak of bird flu. The two sides are negotiating over terms of potential shipments after South Korea lifted a ban on imports of U.S. table eggs that it imposed when the United States grappled with its own bout of bird flu last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

With Trump’s victory, Republicans hope to overhaul Medicaid

When President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, Republicans will have the opportunity to pull off something they have wanted to do for years - overhaul Medicaid, the program that provides health care to tens of millions of lower-income and disabled Americans. Any changes to the $500 billion-plus program hold enormous consequences not only for recipients but also for the states, which share in the cost.