Health-care wonks and political spinmeisters eagerly awaited a new government analysis Tuesday of how the Supreme Court‘s …
medicaid
Rick Scott Is Turning Down Obama’s Medicaid Expansion. Is He Turning Off Florida Voters Too?
Florida Governor Rick Scott has never been one to let facts get in the way of conservative ideology, and recently he’s been trumpeting a lot of untruths about the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. He claims the law’s …
In the ArenaHealth Care
And Now, How to Improve Obamacare
Obama could help himself if he leveled with voters about the law’s weaknesses
The Lone Star Way: Why Texas’ Legal War with the Federal Government Could Be the Biggest One Yet
The debate over what has come to be called Obamacare moved into the eye of a political storm last week as the U.S. Supreme Court weighed the law’s constitutionality. With its civilized tone, the legal discourse was akin to the …
What We’ve Learned from Paul Ryan’s New Budget
Republicans’ cherubic budget crusader, Paul Ryan, unveiled the latest House GOP budget on Tuesday morning. It won’t become law anytime soon, but it can still tell us a few things about the state of fiscal politics in 2012.
What Mitt Romney’s Fiscal Plan Says About GOP Tax Cut Mania
Dick Cheney was once memorably quoted as declaring, during a Bush White House debate about tax cuts, “deficits don’t matter.” In the telling, Cheney insisted that Ronald Reagan had proven the axiom by overseeing a huge expansion …
Already Angling for Berwick’s Replacement
The New York Times reports today that some members of Congress have offered an early seal of approval to a health care administrator who could succeed Medicare/Medicaid chief Don Berwick. According to the Times, Berwick’s deputy Marliyn Tavenner has emerged as a leading candidate to fill the post before or once Berwick recess appointment …
Obama to States: If You Can Do Health Reform Better, Go For It
In a speech to governors, President Obama just endorsed a plan to allow states to opt out of major provisions of the Affordable Care Act just as it’s set to kick in. Saying he recognizes that not everyone is a member of the “Affordable Care Act fan club,” Obama said, “I agree with Mitt Romney that…states should have the power to …
Breaking: Don Berwick to Answer Questions
Tomorrow, Don Berwick, the head of Medicare and Medicaid, will appear before the Senate Finance Committee. Republicans are, to put it mildly, looking forward to this. Berwick was installed via recess appointment, bypassing a Senate confirmation hearing. Expect a peek of what’s to come in 2011, once Republicans control the three …
What the Deficit Commission Says About Health Care
An early proposal from President Obama’s deficit commission appears to have been leaked today. The commission was due to release recommendations in December and its findings and proposals were much anticipated.
It’s unclear if the “draft” unveiled today will mirror final recommendations from the commission, but at the very …
Don Berwick Speaks!
Just not to me – or any other media types for that matter. The new head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid has, until today, been kept under virtual lock and key by the Obama Administration. He was installed via recess appointment, circumventing the Senate confirmation process, which would have included a public hearing. He hasn’t …
Pawlenty Will Take Extra Medicaid Funds
Today, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who’s apparently trying to build GOP party cred by bucking the Affordable Care Act, said he will take about $260 million in Medicaid funds approved by the Obama Administration.
Last week, Pawlenty signed an executive order banning state agencies from applying for grant funding provided by the new …
For the Record
The Congressional Budget Office said in a recent letter that repealing the parts of the Affordable Care Act, including changes to Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, would increase the deficit by $455 billion. The CBO released the figure this week in a letter responding to a request from Republican Sen. Mike …
