In years past, when people heard the terms Gold, Silver, Bronze, they thought about the Olympic medals. Now, they likely think of ObamaCare with its metallic collection of expensive healthcare plans of Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
340B Drug Discount Program Finally Gets a Congressional Hearing
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health holds first hearing on the 340B drug discount program since 2005.
King v. Burwell: Judicial Branch Should Judge, Not Legislate
On Wednesday, March 4, 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments to King v. Burwell. It is one of four lawsuits that challenge the IRS’s regulation that allows subsidies to assist people to purchase health insurance in Federally-facilitated Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as ObamaCare. The plaintiffs argued that the plain language of the law only allows subsidies to assist people in an Exchange “established by a State” while the Obama administration is arguing the IRS was correct when it decided to provide subsidies for enrollees in both types of Exchanges. The Exchanges are the on-line marketplaces where people can shop and purchase health insurance. The Supreme Court heard the case because there have been conflicting rulings within the lower courts as to whether the IRS acted legally.
Medicare House of Cards: Bringing Down the RAC Program
All of Washington, D.C., as well as the rest of the country, has been binging on the third season of the wildly popular Netflix original series “House of Cards,” the sordid tale of Washington politicians who will stop at nothing to bend the power structure to their will in order to gain power, prestige, and money.
GAO Cites Billions Left on the Chopping Block
The prevailing wisdom inside the Beltway and especially among big-government politicians and bureaucrats is one that was espoused by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in 2013. Flummoxed by a reporter’s question on budget cuts, she literally threw up her hands and exclaimed, “The cupboard is bare! There’s no more cuts to make!”
The Supreme Court Hears King v. Burwell
Today, March 4, 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments to King v. Burwell. It’s a big deal because it could decide whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as ObamaCare, survives in its current format. More to the point, the decision will have implications regarding the balance of power between the three co-equal […]
When Will Congress Fix the 340B Drug Discount Program?
The 340B drug discount program to help uninsured, low-income individuals obtain prescription drugs has strayed from its mission.
The House Votes to Repeal ObamaCare
The House of Representatives voted today on H.R. 596, a bill that would repeal and replace ObamaCare. H.R. 596 passed by a vote of 239 to 186. The bill was introduced by Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) and had 98 co-sponsors.
Repealing Obamacare – Is It Doable?
On January 6, the 114th Congress convened and is now under Republican control, with 54 senators out of 100 in the Senate and 246 representatives out of 435 in the House. One of the major Republican campaign promises was the full repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more often referred to as ObamaCare. But can it be done?
Social Security Reform: Time to Go Big
Among the rules adopted by the House of Representatives is a new provision that bars the transfer of money between the Social Security old age and survivors insurance (OASI) trust fund and the disability insurance (DI) trust fund. Congress has authorized 11 transfers from OASI to DI in order to temporarily patch the DI trust fund. In 1994, the last time that DI was on the verge of going broke, Congress reallocated 0.6 percentage points of the payroll tax from OASI to the DI program. The rule change prevents another temporary fix from occurring and provides a significant opportunity for Congress to adopt reforms in order to help ensure the future solvency of both programs.