Health reform implementation

Threats, vetoes fly as tensions rise in Ariz. over Medicaid expansion

GOP Ariz. rep. who supports Medicaid expansion is threatened

Snuffing out higher insurance premiums for smokers

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The Obama administration got some good news Thursday as California regulators released the estimated premiums for healthcare plans sold through the state's insurance exchange.

The premiums came in well below expectations, giving Democrats a strong data point to push back against fears of "rate shock" once the healthcare law takes full effect. California is the first big state to release insurers' rates for next year, and experts were paying particular attention to the filing because of the size of the state's market.

A middle-of-the-road policy will cost about $300 per month, and most people who buy these policies will get a subsidy from the federal government to help pay their premiums. That comes to about $3,600 per year — hardly pocket change, but also far short of the $5,200 annual cost projected by the Congressional Budget Office.

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Business groups are weighing in on an ObamaCare proposal governing incentives for employees to stay healthy.

The White House is currently reviewing a proposed rule for wellness programs that give workers incentives to take part in healthy habits such as joining a gym, signing up for a weight-loss plan or participating in a scheme to stop smoking. The proposal is part of the Affordable Care Act. 

Proponents say that the programs have a documented history of lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and making workers healthy. Plus, they make good business sense.

New insurance policies under President Obama's healthcare law will cost significantly less than expected in California.

The state released rate filings Thursday for the policies that will be sold through the health law's insurance exchange. 

Experts had been especially eager to see California's rates, and it is the first large state to release price information for next year.

The average plan will carry a monthly premium of $300, regulators said. Most people will receive a subsidy to help cover part of that cost, and cheaper options are also available.

The Democratic leader promised taxpayers will not cover healthcare costs for undocumented people who gain a pathway to citizenship.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) on Thursday blasted Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius over her efforts to solicit donations for a group promoting President Obama’s landmark healthcare reform law, likening her to Reagan administration Iran-Contra figure Oliver North.

Links between a nonprofit and White House have created an “air of expectation” that insurers will contribute, an official said.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius urged college graduates Wednesday to remember the insurance benefits available to them through ObamaCare.

In a blog post on Healthcare.gov, Sebelius cited several popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including its requirement that family plans cover children until age 26.

"Because of the Affordable Care Act, you'll be able to begin this next chapter of your life with the peace of mind and security health insurance provides," Sebelius wrote. 

Efforts to boost enrollment and raise awareness of President Obama's healthcare law are the next target for House Republicans.

Republican Sen. John Thune (S.D.) is demanding that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) refrain from implementing ObamaCare while investigators probe the agency's targeting of conservative groups.

Thune, who leads the Senate Republican Conference, wrote to the Obama administration Tuesday connecting the scandal to Sarah Hall Ingram, an IRS official who once had oversight of tax-exempt groups.

Hall Ingram is now in charge of the IRS's functions under ObamaCare, which include enforcing the law's individual mandate. Thune said the IRS must stop working on any regulations drafted under Hall Ingram's leadership while her role in the Tea Party scandal becomes clear.