WASHINGTON — The individual mandate is no more. The requirement under the Affordable Care Act that people pay a penalty if they do not obtain health insurance was eliminated in the federal tax overhaul passed by Congress. After the Senate approved the tax reform legislation 51-48, Trump tweeted, “Terrible Individual Mandate (ObamaCare) Repealed.” He signed
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Obamacare would be repealed and replaced early next year, following the failure of the Senate’s latest effort to overturn the law. After the Senate pulled back from a vote on legislation that would have moved control of health insurance to the states, Trump said Republicans “have the votes” to
WASHINGTON — The effort to replace Obamacare has taken divergent paths, neither of which seems likely to produce a lasting alternative. Republicans, led by Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, proposed taking funds budgeted for the Affordable Care Act and sending it to states as block grants along with the
WASHINGTON — The failed effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act has hardly erased doubts about the law’s short- and long-term viability. Already, the Trump administration has suspended contracts with two companies that have helped thousands of people in nearly a score of cities get health insurance under the statute. In ending the $22 million
WASHINGTON — The Senate dealt a devastating blow to Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, defeating a GOP “skinny repeal” bill. Republican Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) joined with Democrats to oppose the measure, a major loss for President Trump and the Republican congressional agenda.
WASHINGTON — After weeks of working behind closed doors to draft a bill to replace Obamacare, Senate Republican leaders released the Better Care Reconciliation Act and set about finding 50 votes to pass it. Like the American Health Care Act that passed the House in May, the Senate bill represents a major revision to the
WASHINGTON — Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) yesterday withdrew a planned vote on the Senate bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. McConnell delayed action on the measure after it became apparent that Republicans lacked the votes to approve their version of legislation passed by the House in May. While he had
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives today narrowly approved a bill to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Legislators voted 217-213 to overturn many of the law’s popular consumer protections, eliminate the individual mandate, and recast the insurance market. “This bill delivers on the promises that we have made to the American people,” said House Speaker
WASHINGTON — The effort to end Obamacare is not over, although whether the Affordable Care Act will be completely shelved or recast is unclear. Despite last month’s aborted House vote on a replacement bill, Republicans continue to seek an alternative to the ACA that the whole party — and possibly some Democrats — can get
WASHINGTON — Republicans remained divided on a replacement for Obamacare late last month, as a House vote on the replacement American Health Care Act was aborted due to lack of support for the bill. House leaders pulled back the legislation despite a vow from President Trump to leave Obama’s signature law in place if Congress
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has called for bipartisan support for an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act, but his own party was divided on the issue. In his first speech to a joint session of Congress, Trump asked Republicans and Democrats “to save Americans from this imploding Obamacare disaster.” Reiterating his campaign rhetoric, the
WASHINGTON — Humana Inc.’s decision to pull out of the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act threatens to cripple Obamacare before Republican lawmakers bent on its repeal can cobble together a replacement. The Humana decision came one day before the Trump White House issued a proposed rule that attempts to offer insurers
WASHINGTON — In his first executive order after taking office, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to waive or delay any provisions of the Affordable Care Act they consider onerous to individuals, states or insurers. The order contained few specifics, however, and raised more questions about the fate and direction of the country’s health care
WASHINGTON — Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives are aggressively pushing ahead with measures to repeal the Affordable Care Act despite the fact that they have no coherent alternative to replace it. Health care industry analysts and trade associations have warned that repealing or gutting the law without an adequate substitute could create
