For seven years, Republicans in Congress have promised that repealing Obamacare would be a top priority. They have failed, at least for now. The Republican Senate made the decision yesterday not to have a vote on the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson legislation that would have repealed and replaced the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. At least […]
Graham-Cassidy is Far Superior to Obamacare
Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) introduced a replacement plan for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, on September 13, 2017. The Graham-Cassidy bill is expected to be considered on the floor of the Senate next week. As it gains support […]
Liberal States Are Trying to Prop Up Obamacare
As Washington struggles with what may be its final chance to repeal Obamacare, the law’s problems in the states continue. One major problem that has plagued Obamacare for years is that not enough young and healthy people are signing up for health insurance coverage. The Obama administration, to coax more Americans into signing up, attempted […]
Eligibility Check Reveals Massive Medicaid Problems in Oregon
Oregon attracted national ridicule in 2013 and 2014 as its state-run online Obamacare exchange, Cover Oregon, epically failed to sign up even one person for coverage, despite a federal grant of $303 million. The fiasco was so colossal that the state gave up completely and had the federal government take over its enrollment for the […]
Two Significant Healthcare Bills Introduced to Replace Obamacare
On Wednesday, two important healthcare bills were introduced in the Senate to replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. One bill, introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), would amend the healthcare reform legislation that passed the House in May, the American […]
No, Obamacare’s Problems Are Not Over
Last Wednesday, August 23, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that only one county, Paulding County, Ohio, would have no health insurers participating in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. Admittingly, this was a very different scenario from what was anticipated just a few months ago. In June, the New York […]
The Can-Kicking Congress: Business as Usual
In political patois, “kicking the can down the road” connotes procrastination. As long as the proverbial can is kicked “down the road,” rather than picked up, then the proper disposition of the derelict container is put off until some future point in time. And much like the (equally proverbial) kicker’s aversion to taking definitive action on a relatively straightforward task, the U.S. Congress is composed of 535 “can kickers,” given their predilection to avoid taking action until the last possible minute. On Tuesday, September 5, 2017, when the current Congress reconvenes after its annual August recess, it will have less than a month to complete several “must pass” items.
The Summer of Healthcare Discontent
As the end of their summer recess approaches, the Republican-controlled Congress has still not done what it has promised to do since March 2010: repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, and allow consumer-driven forces to create more competition and choices in order to drive down healthcare costs. It has been said that Republicans behaved like a dog which had constantly chased after a car and then finally caught it: They were ill-prepared about what to do after Obamacare was snagged in their metaphorical jaws.
Congress Reacts to Largest Federal Healthcare Fraud Enforcement Action
On Thursday, July 13, 2017, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced in a press release the largest healthcare fraud enforcement action in its history. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, M.D., announced the takedown, in which over 412 individuals were found responsible for $1.3 billion in fraud losses.
The Dangers of Single-Payer Healthcare
CAGW’s June 2017 Porker of the Month was Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who earned the “honor” in part due to his outspoken and unwavering support of the single-payer healthcare system. Sen. Sanders touts the system as the “morally principled” option; in reality, it would create long waiting times, cause a massive increase in taxes, and allow bureaucrats in Washington to make decisions that ought to be made between doctors and patients.