Health reform implementation

HHS officials say they absolutely will meet the biggest and most imposing deadline.

Obama acknowledged there was "more work to do" to rein in medical costs and extend coverage.

The Senate rejected an amendment to the budget that would have banned illegal immigrants from qualifying for “ObamaCare” and Medicaid during the period of legal status.

Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Session (R-Ala.) introduced the amendment, which failed on a 43-56 vote. His amendment would have prohibited illegal immigrants, who later gain citizenship, from getting healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act or through Medicaid.

The top U.S. health official will speak with volunteers around the country Saturday in celebration of healthcare reform's third anniversary.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will hold a conference call with volunteers in 12 states who are preparing to enroll millions of people in the law's insurance exchanges.

That effort will begin in October, before the marketplaces launch in January. It will be shepherded by Enroll America, a partnership of insurers, hospitals and non-profit health groups.

The Obama administration's birth control rules for health insurance coverage have drawn more comments than any other regulation across the government, a watchdog group said Friday.

More than 147,000 people and groups have weighed in on the rules, which require that most employee healthcare plans cover birth control at no cost, the Sunlight Foundation found.

The group attributed the flood of comments to the Catholic Church, which has urged parishioners to express their opposition to the mandate as an attack on religious freedom. Some women's groups have also encouraged their members to support the policy as it moves through the regulatory process.

Senators from both parties are jumping at the chance to modify the U.S. healthcare system through amendments to the proposed budget.

About 80 of the roughly 400 proposed amendments pertained to healthcare as of Friday afternoon, with about 30 modifying President Obama's healthcare law and three curbing abortion rights.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Friday that he would seek to limit debate to between 25 and 35 of the proposals, meaning most will not see floor action. 

The Senate on Friday rejected another GOP attempt to repeal President Obama’s healthcare law.

An amendment to the Senate budget resolution from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) failed on a 45-54 vote on Friday. Cruz’s amendment would have repealed the Affordable Care Act and encouraged patient-centered reforms to reduce costs.

A Republican campaign committee has launched a fundraising site hammering President Obama's healthcare law as the reform turns three this week.

The National Republican Campaign Committee's (NRCC) "Living under ObamaCare" site is modeled to look like the popular Web pinboard Pinterest, with individual pieces of content laid out in modules.

On Friday, among its many items, the site criticized a draft proposal of the tax documents that will be required to comply with healthcare reform.

At health law anniversary, even bigger changes loom

Health insurers warn on premiums [subscription req'd]

Implementation talk from Colorado, Florida and Minnesota

House Republicans told the Obama administration on Thursday that it needs to get moving on a study of how the Affordable Care Act will affect wages.

The healthcare law requires the Labor Department to study whether new regulations under the law will lead to a reduction in workers' pay. 

Reps. John Kline (R-Minn.) and Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) said the Labor Department must move forward with the study before finalizing the policies that might affect employment and wages.