Category: Medicare

Trump throws down a huge challenge to the tea party

President Trump has thrown down a major challenge for the tea party and its congressional bloc, known as the Freedom Caucus. He is proposing to Congress a massive budget-busting plan that increases military spending by a whopping $54 billion, slashes domestic programs, and leaves Social Security and Medicare intact.

Obamacare plans’ drug spending rose faster than other plans in 2016: Express Scripts

Spending on prescription drugs for health plans created under the Affordable Care Act increased last year at a rate more than three times that of other commercial plans and most government-run plans managed by Express Scripts Holding Co. Express Scripts, the largest manager of prescription drug plans for U.S. employers, on Tuesday said year-over-year spending per person for individual insurance plans sold on the Obamacare exchanges where it manages the pharmacy benefit rose 14 percent in 2016, driven by higher drug prices and utilization.

Paul Ryan: ‘We are hosed’ if we don’t tackle entitlements like Medicare

President Donald Trump ran on a vow to not cut benefits for Medicare, but House Speaker Paul Ryan said he thinks that is still an “open question.” “From all my conversations with the President, he says ‘I don’t want to change Medicare benefits for people in or near retirement,’ and we agree with that,” the Wisconsin Republican told reporters in his Capitol suite Tuesday morning.

AARP seeks to protect Medicare

AARP has launched a campaign to protect Medicare in the face of proposals by some in Congress that would hurt West Virginians who have paid into the program their entire working lives, AARP officials said in a news release. Congressional proposals to change Medicare into a voucher system would dramatically increase health care costs and risks for current and future retirees, AARP said.

Aetna, Humana call off $34 billion deal

Aetna and Humana called off a $34 billion proposal to combine the two major health insurers after a federal judge, citing antitrust concerns, shot down the deal. The announcement Tuesday comes several days after another federal judge rejected a tie-up between two other massive insurers.

What Republicans must decide on Obamacare

We don’t often see eye-to-eye with the right-wing Heritage Action, but in this case we agree with Dan Holler , vice president of communications and government relations, who is quoted as saying, “I think the longer this drags on, the more people are starting to understand the chance of a repeal is slipping away. Certainly it’s becoming harder and harder with each passing day.”

Obamacare hits slump, falls short of 2016 pace

After years of steady growth Obamacare’s sign-ups slumped in 2017, according to early numbers that suggest the law is struggling now that President Obama is no longer in office to give it a boost. The number of people selecting plans on the federal HealthCare.gov website dropped 4 percent this go-around compared to the 2016 season, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said.

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Top House Republicans say their outline for replacing President Barack Obama’s health care law is a pathway to greater flexibility and lower costs for consumers. Democrats see a road to ruin for millions who’d face lost coverage and higher medical expenses, particularly the poor.

Trump to inherit $559B deficit, stable economy

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump has inherited a stable economy and a government that is on track to run a $559 billion budget deficit for the year, congressional analysts said Tuesday. The estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office say the economy will hold relatively steady, with economic growth rising slightly to 2.3 percent this year and unemployment averaging less than 5 percent for the duration of Trump’s term.

Doctors for Patient Freedom to Confer Ed Annis Award on Jane Orient, M.D.

Doctors for Patient Freedom will be recognizing the achievements of Dr. Jane Orient at the upcoming meeting of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, Jan 27, 2017. “Congressman Tom Price, M.D., and Ben Carson, M.D., have previously received the Ed Annis Medical Freedom Award, which recognizes leaders who have fought for medical freedom,” states David McKalip, M.D., founder of Doctors for Patient Freedom.

Blame insurers, not Obamacare

Blame insurers, not Obamacare The recent op-ed by Congressman Scott Perry misleads your readership on the effects of the Affordable Care Act. Check out this story on ydr.com: http://on-ydr.co/2jDAkLh The recent op-ed by Congressman Scott Perry seriously misleads your readership on the effects of the Affordable Care Act and the Republican plan to repeal it.

California withdraws immigrant health care request

California officials on Wednesday withdrew their request to sell unsubsidized insurance policies to people who can’t prove they’re legally in the United States after learning the decision would fall to President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Calling the decision “the first California casualty of the Trump presidency,” Sen. Ricardo Lara said he doesn’t trust the incoming administration to protect people’s privacy and health.

Trump vows ‘insurance for everybody’ in Obamacare replacement plan

Protesters demonstrating support for the Affordable Care Act hold signs and chant in the lobby of Trump International Hotel & Tower at Columbus Circle in New York, Jan. 15, 2017. [Demetrius Freeman 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.

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.

Senate Democrats To Hold Late-Night Talkathon Against Obamacare Repeal

There’s little doubt that Republicans are going to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but Democrats want to make it as politically damaging for them as possible. On Monday night, Senate Democrats plan to stay up late, delivering floor speeches and Facebook Live broadcasts attacking the Republicans’ drive to dismantle President Barack Obama’s signature health care law .

Bernie Sanders Holds Donald Trump Accountable For His Health Care…

On Wednesday, Bernie Sanders pulled an amazing move when he presented the senate floor with a massive printout of a 2015 tweet Donald sent promising not to cut funding for medicare and medicaid. In case you weren’t following, the Senate is currently in the process of debating whether or not to repeal Obamacare, so the savage exposA couldn’t come at a better time.

Democrats extol health care law in bid to derail GOP repeal

Senior House Democrats on Monday extolled the benefits of President Barack Obama’s health care law in hopes of derailing Republican plans to gut the statute and over time replace it. In a conference call with reporters, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the GOP will begin its “assault” on the health care law when the 115th Congress convenes Tuesday.

Trump’s healthcare nominees are just what the doctor ordered

It has been widely reported that President-elect Trump’s nomination of Rep. Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon, to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services , and Seema Verma to be the next administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , has drawn many cheers from Republicans eager to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. To be sure, replacing Obamacare would be a huge victory for conservatives, and Price has proved he is more than qualified to take on the task by authoring a comprehensive replacement plan in every Congress since 2011.

Here’s How Medicare Is Changing in 2017

Medicare provides essential healthcare coverage to tens of millions of Americans, but every year, the program sees some changes to the way it offers its benefits. In 2017, not only will Medicare participants see typical changes in costs and coverage options, but they’ll also see political pressure that could result in more dramatic healthcare reform that could affect Medicare.

The fight to save Medicare and Medicaid begins in January

Donald Trump has won the presidency after narrowly carrying a few states to put him above 270 electoral votes.But according… Senate Republicans refused to give President Obama’s pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Scalia even the courtesy of a… You’ve heard a lot less from Republicans, including popular vote loser Donald Trump, about plans to privatize Medicare and gut Medicaid under the new administration. In fact, House Speaker Paul Ryan has seemed to cool off a bit on the whole idea.