Trump vows ‘insurance for everybody’ in ACA replacement plan

President-elect Donald Trump said in a weekend interview that he is nearing completion of a plan to replace President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law with the goal of “insurance for everybody,” while also vowing to force drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices in Medicare and Medicaid. Trump declined to reveal specifics in the telephone interview late Saturday with The Washington Post, but any proposals from the incoming president would almost certainly dominate the Republican effort to overhaul federal health policy as he prepares to work with his party’s congressional majorities.

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Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s warning to the Democrat-led Legislature not to move forward with legalizing marijuana is going mostly unheeded. But as the governor charges full-steam ahead with a program to battle drug addiction that got a warm reception from Democratic leaders, he’s getting pushback when it comes to marijuana.

Letter: Let’s hold Trump to his promise

… benefits. During Monday’s farewell address, President Barack Obama again declared his willingness to support a health-care initiative that is better than Obamacare. So let’s hope the stage is set for a bipartisan approach to a more affordable and …

Back briefs

If you haven’t signed up for health insurance, you may soon be getting a not-too-subtle nudge from the taxman. The IRS is sending personalized letters to millions of taxpayers who might be uninsured, reminding them that they could be on the hook for hundreds of dollars in fines under the federal health care law if they don’t sign up soon through HealthCare.gov .

a This experiment has faileda : House charts course to repeal health law

The House cleared the way Friday for speedy action to repeal the Affordable Care Act, putting Congress on track to undo the most significant health care law in a half-century. With a near party-line vote of 227-198, the House overcame the opposition of Democrats and the anxieties of some Republicans to approve a budget blueprint that allows Republicans to end major provisions of President Barack Obama’s health care law without the threat of a Democratic filibuster in the Senate.

Make North Carolina great again

… of residents. They tried to strip valuable assets away from local governments. They also thumbed their noses at health care reform. They prevented the state from setting up insurance exchanges to attract competition in the health insurance market …

Questions surround proposal to consolidate school health benefits

Little information is available on the potential effects for tens of thousands of teachers of consolidating their health insurance into a single statewide system. Gov. Sam Brownback included the health insurance proposal in his budget this week, in hopes of saving the state $40 million in fiscal 2018 and twice as much in years after that.

House votes to begin repealing Obamacare

U.S. House Republicans on Friday won passage of a measure starting the process of dismantling Obamacare, despite concerns about not having a ready replacement and the potential financial cost of repealing Democratic President Barack Obama’s landmark health insurance law. A bill repealing Obamacare sits on a desk after being signed by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan at the U.S. Capitol in Washington January 7, 2016.

Sanders gets ‘Four Pinocchios’ for Obamacare repeal tweet about 36K deaths

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders received a fact-check smackdown from the Washington Post on Saturday for his statement claiming 36,000 more Americans would die annually if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. ThinkProgress published a story arguing that nearly 30 million people would lose health insurance if Obamacare is repealed and one in every 830 of those people would die because of repeal, leading to just under 36,000 people who could die every year because they don’t have insurance.

What Does 2017 Hold for Obamacare?

… calculation of 2.5% of income above the filing threshold. Yet the cost of an average bronze-tier plan through the health insurance marketplace is expected to rise slightly, adding perhaps $100 to the maximum penalty for high-income individuals. …

U.S. House Votes to Begin Repealing Obamacare

U.S. House Republicans on Friday won passage of a measure starting the process of dismantling Obamacare, despite concerns about not having a ready replacement and the potential financial cost of repealing repealing Democratic President Barack Obama’s landmark health insurance law. The House of Representatives voted 227-198 to instruct committees to draft legislation by a target date of Jan. 27 that would repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.

IRS letters warn millions over insurance penalty

If you haven’t signed up for health insurance, you may soon be getting a not-too-subtle nudge from the taxman. The IRS is sending personalized letters to millions of taxpayers who might be uninsured, reminding them that they could be on the hook for hundreds of dollars in fines under the federal health care law if they don’t sign up soon through HealthCare.gov.

Opinion Line

Thanks to Wichita, I will not become too affluent with my 0.3 percent cost-of-living increase from Social Security. The increase in water and sewer rates will make sure I stay on a healthy diet of Meow Mix.

Opinion Line

Thanks to Wichita, I will not become too affluent with my 0.3 percent cost-of-living increase from Social Security. The increase in water and sewer rates will make sure I stay on a healthy diet of Meow Mix.

Obamacare is a hard act to follow

… for all Americans that could garner broad support won’t work. Plans that would work can’t garner broad support. Health care in the United States is extremely costly, the issue of how coverage ought to be paid for is divisive, and attempts like …

Obamacare is a hard act to follow

… for all Americans that could garner broad support won’t work. Plans that would work can’t garner broad support. Health care in the United States is extremely costly, the issue of how coverage ought to be paid for is divisive, and attempts like …

Battle over Medicaid intensifies

… Cooper, a Democrat, is a native of Nash County, which would benefit greatly from the expansion, according to local health and hospital officials. Nash UNC Health Care is loosing $2 million annually in the Emergency Room alone, hospital CEO Larry …