President Trump keeps threatening to make Canada the 51st state and also buy Greenland, presumably making that country either a territory or a state. The possibility of either occurring is virtually zero, and that’s a good thing for Republicans. Because while Trump and his MAGA supporters may not realize it, giving those countries the vote would likely send the GOP to the political sidelines.
We’ve seen this movie before. Advocates have been working for years to give statehoo...
What to do about $1.1 trillion in improper Medicaid payments
As the 119th Congress seeks to reduce government spending through reconciliation, talk of Medicaid reductions has raised concerns about vulnerable populations losing Medicaid coverage. But simply following the law and paying only for what Medicaid allows would save hundreds of billions of dollars without ending coverage for any of Medicaid’s intended recipients.
According to official reports, the government issued $543 billion in improper Medicaid payments from ...
Dr. Oz’s charm offensive
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The US government could shut down: here’s what you need to know
As a divided Congress and Democrats spar over a funding bill, here’s what to expect from a government shutdown
The US stands hours away from a partial government shutdown as Democrats decide whether to play ball with Republicans on the first major legislative hurdle in Trump’s second administration.
The House approved a stopgap funding measure called a continuing resolution last week, and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, has urged Democrats in the Senate to pass the m...
Oz dodges questions about Medicaid cuts in confirmation hearing
Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), dodged questions from Democrats on Friday about whether he supported potential cuts to Medicaid.
Instead, the heart-surgeon-turned-celebrity-physician focused much of his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee about how he wants to make Americans healthier and improve the efficiency of the health system.
Oz, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2022, spoke in ...
Republicans must learn from their crash-and-burn attempt to repeal Obamacare
Health care is going to play a key role in Republicans’ budget reconciliation efforts, but they risk failure by repeating the mistakes of 2017.
During the first Trump administration, Republicans famously pursued a longstanding campaign promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. However, the effort went down in flames after it became clear that there were policy, political and process concerns that prevented Republicans from coalescing around a single proposal.
As the...
The looming budget question: Will Medicaid cuts fund tax cuts?
The challenge of restoring fiscal responsibility will be on full display in the months ahead following the passage of the House of Representatives budget resolution for the 2025 fiscal year on Feb. 25.
It set the stage for legislation that can circumvent the Senate’s 60-vote threshold and pass with a simple majority. While it does not include specific changes to spending and taxes, it specifies which House committees should finance deficits in reconci...
Oz vows to make Americans healthier but dodges questions on Trump cuts
TV doctor and former heart surgeon vows to fight healthcare fraud at Senate hearing for health role
Dr Mehmet Oz promised senators on Friday to fight healthcare fraud and push to make Americans healthier if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.But the former heart surgeon and TV personality dodged several opportunities to say broadly whether he would oppose cuts to Medicaid, the government-funded program for people with low inc...
Watch live: Dr. Oz testifies at Senate confirmation hearing
Mehmet Oz, the celebrity physician and television host, will testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Friday for his confirmation hearing to be head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
If confirmed, Oz would take the helm of a $1.5 trillion agency. It sets payment rates for doctors, hospitals and insurers, while also overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Affordable Care Act — programs that provide cov...
Restore Medicaid’s intent: Prioritize the most vulnerable over able-bodied childless adults
As Republicans unveil proposed cuts to government programs, they should take this opportunity to reform a program that is the fourth-largest driver of spending: Medicaid.
Congress should refocus the program on its original intent: vulnerable Americans, especially those with disabilities who have nowhere else to turn for health coverage.
Nearly 700,000 people with disabilities are sitting on Medicaid waitlists for vital home and community-based care, and they will ...