The Dark Cloud over the Trump Presidency

… that the Democrats have won the battle and there will be, sooner rather than later, a single payer government run health care system in the United States. Beyond the spending and other provisions in the bill, this legislation is essentially an …

Rep. King weighs in on new healthcare bill

… which approved it early Thursday morning. The bill would eliminate the current mandate, which requires people to buy health insurance or pay a fine. But it would keep popular “Obamacare” components that protects people who have pre-existing …

GOP health plan would cut mandated drug treatment, mental health coverage

The Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would strip away what advocates say is essential coverage for drug addiction treatment as the number of people dying from opiate overdoses is skyrocketing nationwide . Beginning in 2020, the plan would eliminate an Affordable Care Act requirement that Medicaid cover basic mental-health and addiction services in states that expanded it, allowing them to decide whether to include those benefits in Medicaid plans.

Walorski Votes to Advance Obamacare Repeal Legislation

U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski Wednesday released the following statement after voting in the House Ways and Means Committee to advance portions of the American Health Care Act : “We are one step closer to ensuring Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. The American Health Care Act will repeal Obamacare and replace it with a patient-centered system that puts individuals and families back in control of their health care decisions.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

Health care legislation proposed by Republicans to replace Obamacare has received a barrage of criticism from outside conservative groups, as well as a number of prominent members of Republicans’ own caucus, such as Sen. Mike Lee. Many have speculated that the current bill is dead on arrival.

Obamacare replacement gets boost from House GOP faithful

On the 5th anniversary of Klaus’ defeat, Marcel welcomes the un-sired vampires to New Orleans only to find they pose an unexpected threat to House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., speaks during a news conference on the American Health Care Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. WASHINGTON – The American Health Care Act has President Trump’s seal of approval and took its first step on Wednesday at two public hearings toward putting down a conservative rebellion and winning congressional endorsement.

The Health Care Debate Is About Values

Looking at the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare through a policy lens doesn’t tell the whole story Donald Trump leads a listening session with health insurance company CEOs on February 27th. The GOP health care bill he supports would cause millions of Americans to lose access to medical care.

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.

Holy cats! Posner makes feline comparison in eye-drops class action

The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed a class-action certification order in a consumer lawsuit that alleged that the eye drops used to treat glaucoma were larger than necessary, and those who used the drops were overpaying. Even if the defendants – Allergan, Alcon, Bausch and Lomb, Pfizer, Merck and Prasco – sold tiny eye drops that were cheaper and just as effective, consumers still got what they paid for, Judge Richard Posner wrote for court.

Mike’s Blog Round Up

… of interest. Kellyanne Conway wasn’t thrilled when Fox News’ Bill Hemmer tried to relabel the new House bill on health care, “Trumpcare.” MSNBC’s Mark Halperin asked the OMB director how many fewer people would have health insurance under Trump’s …

Republican Obamacare repeal clears first hurdle

… introduce a new, smaller system of tax credits based on age rather than income, and overhaul Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor. The committee, which was looking at the tax-related provisions of the bill, made no changes, …

These major health advocacy groups oppose GOP health care plan

Major health advocacy groups that played an influential role in the passage of Obamacare have come out against the legislation House Republicans rolled out Monday evening to repeal and replace the healthcare law. The measure cleared its first hurdle early Thursday morning with the House Ways and Means Committee advancing it after a marathon mark-up that began Wednesday morning.

A look at the opposing sides on the GOP health care bill

President Donald Trump: “We’re going to do something that’s great and I’m proud to support the replacement plan released by the House of Representatives.” Vice President Mike Pence: “I really do believe this is an extraordinarily important moment in the life of our nation, and every American who longs to see us start over on health care reform that will respect the doctor-patient relationship, that will harness the power of the free marketplace to lower the cost of insurance, that will give states freedom and flexibility to improve Medicaid for our most vulnerable citizens can let their voice be heard.”

House panel nears health bill OK, industry groups say ‘no’

Republicans on a pivotal House committee are nearing an initial triumph in their effort to scuttle former President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, approaching a pre-dawn vote to abolish the tax penalty his statute imposes on people who don’t purchase insurance and reshape how millions of Americans buy medical care. Yet the Ways and Means panel’s approval of health care legislation would only mask deeper problems Republican backers face.

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.”

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President Donald Trump: “We’re going to do something that’s great and I’m proud to support the replacement plan released by the House of Representatives.” Vice President Mike Pence: “I really do believe this is an extraordinarily important moment in the life of our nation, and every American who longs to see us start over on health care reform that will respect the doctor-patient relationship, that will harness the power of the free marketplace to lower the cost of insurance, that will give states freedom and flexibility to improve Medicaid for our most vulnerable citizens can let their voice be heard.”

Vice president touts choice in Obamacare replacement bill

Vice President Mike Pence says a bill put forth by congressional Republicans earlier this week is “the beginning of the end of Obamacare.” “When you think about the burden that Obamacare has placed on American families and American businesses since it was signed into law in 2010, this represents a historic opportunity for President Trump, our administration and the Congress to keep a promise to the American people,” the vice president said Wednesday as he spoke live with WOOD-TV political reporter Rick Albin from Washington, D.C. Pence said the plan would “lower the cost of health insurance by giving the American people more choices, including buying health insurance across state lines.”

ObamaCare repeal markups stretch into the night

… also pushed aside an amendment highlighting what Democrats called the “Trump promise” that everyone would have health insurance under a GOP plan. The amendment from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) would have prevented the GOP ObamaCare replacement …

Obamacare replacement gets boost from House GOP faithful

The American Health Care Act has President Trump’s seal of approval and took its first step on Wednesday at two public hearings toward putting down a conservative rebellion and winning congressional endorsement. In front of hundreds of spectators, Democrats ripped the Obamacare replacement bill as a slapdash effort that will benefit the rich and hurt low-income as well as older Americans.

Republicans push hard for health care bill, though divided

House Speaker Paul Ryan labored to rally divided Republicans behind a high-stakes drive to overhaul the nation’s health care system Wednesday, praising his party’s legislation as “what good, conservative health care reform looks like” as lawmakers cast Congress’ first votes. Republicans who control two crucial House committees – Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce – but hit a torrent of resistance from Democrats who oppose the seven-year GOP effort to unravel former President Barack Obama’s health care law.

CDC: Outbreak of North American avian influenza A(H7N9) in poultry…

CDC is working closely with USDA APHIS and the Tennessee Department of Health to minimize any human health risk posed by the avian influenza outbreak in Lincoln County, Tennessee. This includes implementing a protocol to monitor the health of poultry workers exposed to commercial poultry involved in the USDA/APHIS-confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza A outbreak .

Conservative are railing against the GOP’s healthcare bill as…

Conservative Republicans, groups, and media outlets are not happy with the House GOP leadership’s plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The right-leaning entities have dubbed the new plan – officially named the American Health Care Act – “Obamacare-lite” because it preserves what they consider to be objectionable parts of the Affordable Care Act.

Medical procedures priced in Iphones, for the benefit of noted dumbass Jason Chaffetz

Yesterday, Rep Jason Chaffetz [R-UT; DC office: 225-7751; Utah office: 851-2500; email ; Twitter ] defended his plan to take away the health insurance of 22,000,000 Americans by saying “rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care.” It’s a great talking point for reaching a base that already views poverty as a moral failing, but it fails to pass even the most glancing contact with reality.

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.

Here’s how the Republican repeal plan is like Obamacare

House Republican leaders are under fire for unveiling a plan that repeals major portions of Obamacare and replaces it with what some critics are calling “Obamacare Lite.” The American Health Care Act has too many similarities to the Affordable Care Act, conservative lawmakers and think tanks say.

Trump riding herd on Congress to pass Obamacare repeal

The House health care bill, dubbed the American Health Care Act , is taking heat from all sides, perhaps a sign that the House Republicans who wrote the plan are in the area of the target. Repeal the mandates but add a one-time 30% premium surcharge for those who had previously failed to buy insurance.

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.