President Biden's budget proposal focuses heavily on expanding access to health care and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
In an effort to extend the life of Medicare's hospital trust fund, the budget proposal would increase the number of drugs that can be negotiated, and allow those negotiations to begin sooner.
The plan builds off the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which granted Medicare the power to negotiate the prices of up to 20 drugs each year — though...
healthcare
Biden launches battle on Capitol Hill with call for Medicare tax hike
President Biden fired the opening shots of the battle over spending and taxes that will consume Capitol Hill this year when he proposed on Tuesday a 5 percent Medicare surtax on people who earn more than $400,000 a year.
The White House is hailing the proposal, which is part of Biden’s budget plan, as something that will extend Medicare’s solvency by 25 years, but Republicans are slamming it as a “massive" tax hike and key Democrats are ducking for cover, declining to s...
North Carolina Republicans reach deal to expand Medicaid
Republican lawmakers in North Carolina say they have reached an agreement on expanding Medicaid in the state.
The deal enacted would remove North Carolina from the small list of states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
North Carolina is one of 11 states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage since the Obama-era law. It is a push that has faced significant conservative opposition in the states where it has not been adopted.
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A prescription to reform our health care system
For nearly three decades, I practiced medicine in North Texas. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, I started to see politicians putting forward health care schemes that would result in drastic changes to my clinical practice and negatively affect all American patients. I came to Congress to work on policies that would help doctors, like me, and patients by reforming a health care system that was not working. The passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was about as bad...
Biden to go on offensive against Republicans over budget fight in Virginia speech
President Biden is set to go in on congressional Republicans on Tuesday while giving a speech in Virginia Beach where he is expected to blast the lawmakers for seeking cuts to programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Legislators are in the midst of negotiating a federal budget and seeking to avoid a potential default on the national debt. The White House has called for the debt ceiling to be raised and Biden is refusing to negotiate over this matter, a stance th...
The government will finally cover obesity care for its employees — but not the rest of us
Obesity is a complicated disease that is poorly understood by the public. Unfortunately, treatment for this disease is hindered by societal misconceptions and discriminatory beliefs that confuse appearance with disease. The recent media coverage and popularity of new anti-obesity medications (AOM) has given some more confidence to seek treatment for this disease. However, most people still cannot access care because their insurance will not pay for it — unless you are a federal employee.<...
Subsidies have boosted Affordable Care Act’s enrollment. It’s setting up a potential fight
Health insurance sign-ups through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) jumped by nearly 2 million during the most recent enrollment period, which ended in mid-January, totaling 16.3 million people.
The gains suggest the program known as Obamacare is going strong, despite repeated efforts by Republicans to kill it.
It also suggests subsidies provided to the program through two massive pieces of legislation spearheaded by President Biden had an influen...
Subsidies have boosted Affordable Care Act’s enrollment. It’s setting up a potential fight
Health insurance sign-ups through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) jumped by nearly 2 million during the most recent enrollment period, which ended in mid-January, totaling 16.3 million people.
The gains suggest the program known as Obamacare is going strong, despite repeated efforts by Republicans to kill it.
It also suggests subsidies provided to the program through two massive pieces of legislation spearheaded by President Biden had an influen...
White House announces plans to enhance transparency over nursing home ownership
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a new rule proposal that would require nursing homes to disclose more information on their ownership and management than what is currently required.
Nursing homes that are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid are already required to report certain ownership and management data, but other information, such as those who provide cash management services, are not required to be disclosed. This new rule would push for more inf...
Senator Hawley’s harmful insulin proposal
Not long ago, conservative Republicans opposed ObamaCare’s mandated benefits regulations. They argued that mandates drive up the cost of insurance, forcing insurers to raise premiums and deductibles and narrow their provider networks.
Alas, the era of limited government Republicans is fading. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) recently sponsored legislation that would cap consumers’ out-of-pocket monthly insulin expenditures at $25 and ban insurance c...