Wednesday’s appeals court ruling on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act was undoubtedly a win for the Obama Administration. The Sixth Circuit, based in Cincinnati, agreed with a previous district court ruling that the law’s individual mandate does not violate the Constitution. Challengers argued in this case, as they have in …
affordable care act
Pulling the Plug on Granny, Part 2
(This post was update at 6:35 p.m.)
Yes, we’re back here again already, with at least one Republican claiming this week that Democratic health reform will kill seniors. Sigh.
The target of the GOP attack is the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a controversial group to be appointed by the president and charged with slowing the …
Defining Pawlentycare
On the campaign trial – especially the presidential campaign trail – nuance rarely breaks through the fog of generalization. Mitt Romney is the frontrunner and a flip-flopper on the issues. Michele Bachmann is the Tea Party …
McKinsey Comes Clean About Its Controversial Insurance Study
Nearly two weeks after the consulting firm McKinsey released a study claiming one-third of businesses would drop insurance benefits once health reform kicks in, the company has disclosed how they generated that figure. This disclosure is welcome news. Other studies have not predicted a mass disruptions of the employer-based health …
The McKinsey Study Controversy: Max Baucus Jumps In
Last week, I expressed some skepticism about a study produced by McKinsey consultants claiming that 30% of employers will stop offering health insurance to their workers as a result of health reform. This high percentage is an outlier and so I was interested in how exactly McKinsey came up with this figure. The company wouldn’t say. …
Some Medicare Ideas Worth Considering
Maybe Joe Lieberman was feeling left out of the current debt ceiling and budget fight. That might explain why the independent Ssenator from Connecticut has chosen this moment to offer a new plan to reform Medicare. Lieberman laid out his proposal in a recent Washington Post op-ed. The headline, “How Medicare Can Be Saved,” is a stretch …
Health Care Lawsuits: Why the 11th Circuit Might Matter More
Updated at 3:20 p.m.
The Affordable Care Act was back in court on Wednesday, with the government and a coalition of 26 states presenting arguments in an Atlanta courtroom for and against the constitutionality of the law. Oral …
The Looming State-Federal Showdown
When it comes to health care, conservative state legislatures seem to be happily on a collision course with the Obama Administration. Passing statutes that defy federal law and exempting themselves from the new health reform overhaul, these states are begging for a fight. They will get one eventually – in most cases, in the form of …
Health Care Court Battles – Predictable as Ever
As I noted this morning, health care reform made another court appearance today. A three-judge panel in the Fourth Circuit heard arguments for and against the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. The appellate court, reviewing two district court decisions, is just one more stop on the way to the Supreme …
Health Care Challenges Reach Next Level in Climb Toward Supreme Court
Two legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act will be argued in a Virginia courtroom Tuesday morning, moving them one step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court. The first, filed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, has already scored a …
What GOP Debate Participants Said About Health Care
The Republican presidential debate in South Carolina last night didn’t exactly feature an all-star lineup, but it’s the best preview we’ve gotten so far of how the conversation will shape up in primary season.
Via Kaiser Health News, here’s a nice compilation of what three of the candidates said about health care:
On Health Care and Deficit, Obama Punts (Mostly) and Invites a GOP Fight
In his Wednesday speech on deficit reduction – and even in fact sheets distributed ahead of time – the President wasn’t big on specifics. On health care spending, a primary driver of long-term deficits, he was downright vague. In a briefing with reporters, two “senior administration officials” armed with talking points repeatedly …
Why Liberals Don’t Trust Obama on Entitlement Reform
Progressives are sounding the alarm ahead of President Obama’s upcoming speech on deficit reduction and entitlement reform. No one knows exactly what argument Obama will make in response to Paul Ryan’s 2012 budget proposal unveiled last week, but Jonathan Cohn foresees an opening negotiating stance too close to the center for his …
