The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition. The new law also includes a number of key provisions designed to…
Category: Law
A Timeline Of The Health Reform Law’s Milestones And Regulations – Kaiser Health News
The health law was controversial even before it was signed by President Barack Obama two years ago. But the political ruckus has not deterred the administration from issuing hundreds of pages of regulations which already are affecting consumers, hospitals, doctors, insurance companies and state governments. Here’s a look at what was done when: READ MORE:…
On Health Care, Supreme Court Essentially Powerless To Kill Many Of Obama’s Big Changes
Health care reform can’t be stopped by the Supreme Court. Next week the high court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act passed two years ago. Ultimately, the justices could overturn all or parts of the law. The Republican presidential contenders have vowed to repeal the law if they win the…
Affordable Care Act provides 20.4 million women with preventive health services at no additional cost
President Obama’s health reform law requires that new health insurance plans cover preventive services with no co-pay or deductible. In the last 18 months, approximately 20.4 million women with private health insurance have received preventive health services such as mammograms and pap smears at no additional cost because of this provision in the Affordable Care Act….
One Nation, Two Health Care Extremes
The U.S. spent $2.6 trillion on health care in 2010 — more than the entire economy of France or Britain. But the amount spent and how it’s used varies from state to state. And no two states are more different than Texas and Massachusetts. At 25 percent, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people…
Republican Rep. Walsh Proposes Federal ‘Proof Of Citizenship To Vote’ Law That Could Disenfranchise 15 Million Americans
A Republican congressman from Illinois praised a controversial new voting measure at a town hall last month, calling for a national version of the law that could disenfranchise millions. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), who grabbed headlines for owing his ex-wife over $100,000 in child support and defending big banks against irate constituents, lauded the recent…
Supreme Court Will Release Same-Day Audio Of Health Care Arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it will make available same-day audio of upcoming oral arguments later this month, arguments that could determine the fate of the Obama health care overhaul. In a three-paragraph announcement, the court said it is making the same-day audio available because of the “extraordinary public interest” in the health…
Watch: Police Get Violent As OWS Retakes Zuccotti Park
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters marked the six-month anniversary of Occupy Wall Street by attempting to retake Zuccotti Park. By the end of the night, 73 had been arrested and the park forcefully cleared. In scenes that recalled the early days of the movement last fall, citizen journalists captured the New York City Police Department…
What Everyone Should Know About Trayvon Martin (1995-2012)
On February 26, 2012, a 17-year-old African-American named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida. The shooter was George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old white man. Zimmerman admits killing Martin, but claims he was acting in self-defense. Three weeks after Martin’s death, no arrests have been made and Zimmerman remains free. Here is what everyone…
FAQ On HSAs: The Basics Of Health Savings Accounts
Health savings accounts, coupled with high deductible health plans, increasingly are on the list of choices. The insurance industry trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans reports that the number of people with these plans “rose to more than 11.4 million in January 2011, up from 10 million in January 2010.” Still, HSAs can be confusing, and, many people…
Legal experts predict a Supreme Court win for Obamacare
The American Bar Assn. devoted all 40 pages of the latest Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases magazine to the high courts review of Obamacare, formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The court is scheduled to hear arguments about the laws constitutionality this month. For this special issue, the editors of…
Vermont Edges Toward Single Payer Health Care
From October 2011: Many of the details of the system, including the key issue of financing, still need to be worked out and more legislation will be required to complete the transformation. But Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin has moved quickly since taking office last January to set the state on a path to create the…
The Health Law And The Supreme Court: A Primer For The Upcoming Oral Arguments
How big is the constitutional challenge to the Obama health care law, which the Supreme Court will hear on March 26-28? For starters, it’s big enough for the justices to schedule six hours of arguments — more time than given to any case since 1966. After all, the Affordable Care Act is arguably the most…
For once, the Senate tries to make highway spending less irrational
Wednesday, the Senate passed a two-year, $109 billion transportation bill that tries to change all that — at least in a few modest ways. The bill itself is critical because funding for roads, bridges and transit is set to run out on March 31. But there are a few notable reforms tucked away in the…
New healthcare exchange rules issued for states
Industry and consumer groups welcomed the regulations, saying they provided states with the flexibility necessary to meet consumer needs for choice and quality protections. They also said the regulations shift policy focus to the state level, where the new rules must be implemented. State exchanges are part of a two-pronged effort to provide health coverage…
Texas Voter ID Law Blocked By Justice Department
The U.S. Department of Justice has blocked a new voter ID law from going into effect in Texas. The department says the state failed to show that the law would not deny or limit minorities right to vote. Its the second state voter ID law the department has blocked. Texas, like several other states, has…
Drug Testing Bill Targets Florida State Workers, Excludes Lawmakers
A Florida state lawmaker is pushing a bill requiring state agencies to test their workers for drugs. But the bill wouldn’t mandate testing for all public sector employees; members of the Florida legislature would get a pass. Rep. Jimmie Smith (R-Lecanto), the bill’s sponsor, said he supports drug testing for lawmakers, but requiring them to…
Florida House Of Representatives Overwhelmingly Approves ‘Inspirational Message’ Bill For Schools
Florida students will soon be allowed to deliver “inspirational messages,” which include everything from prayers to manifestos, at mandatory school events. The Florida House of Representatives just approved SB 98, which permits Florida school districts to allow students to read inspirational messages of their choosing at assemblies and sporting events. The House approval was overwhelming,…
Kansas Abortion Bill: Risks Lives, Governor Hasn’t Read It, But Promises To Sign It
Brownback, speaking to The Huffington Post Monday following the National Governors Association meeting, said that while he has not read the 69-page bill, he is likely to sign the proposal since he opposes abortion rights. Brownback, a former U.S. senator, has signed several anti-abortion bills since he took office last year. “I am pro-life,” Brownback…
President Obama Signs the Payroll Tax Cut
President Obama signed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 — extending the payroll tax cut and emergency jobless benefits through the end of the year. Last week, the President called on Americans from across the country to add their voices to the debate and let us know what they would…