Affordable Care Act Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Obamacare Loophole Allows Medicaid Fraud, Costs Taxpayers, Report Says

September 23, 2020September 22, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Affordable Care Act mandated that states accept a hospitals’ decision on the eligibility of all able-bodied adults who verbally report their income to be below the Medicaid level, which has led to many fraudulent eligibility claims, according to a report published Monday.

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) report examined recently released data from state Medicaid agencies. It specifically looked at the government Medicaid funds that were wasted through false hospitals’ presumptive eligibility (HPE) determinations.

Report: Millions Lose Health Insurance Because of COVID-19 Shutdowns

August 12, 2020August 11, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

More than 5 million people lost their health insurance coverage over the past several months because of COVID-19 restrictions as costs for lifesaving medications and treatments for cancer also skyrocketed.

A new study by Families USA found that more than 5.4 million people who lost their jobs are uninsured, compared to 3.9 million who were in a similar situation during the Great Recession.

The Supreme Court Won’t Rush Obamacare Case, Dealing Setback for Democrats

January 22, 2020January 21, 2020 Admin

The Supreme Court will not fast-track two petitions that ask the high court to again review the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.

Trump Administration Tells Supreme Court Not to Fast-Track Obamacare Challenge

January 13, 2020January 12, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Trump administration told the Supreme Court there is no reason to fast-track its consideration of two petitions seeking review of a lower court decision that struck down the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.

Supreme Court Orders Fast Response in Obamacare Challenge

January 9, 2020January 8, 2020 Admin

The Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration and a coalition of red states Monday to respond by Friday to a petition asking the justices to immediately take up a challenge to the Affordable Care Act.

Keith Ellison Asks Supreme Court to Review ‘Illogical And Chaotic’ ACA Decision

January 5, 2020January 5, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 19 states in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a recent decision that found the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to be unconstitutional. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held in a…

Trump Reveals Timeline for Up-in-the-Air GOP Health Care Plan

April 3, 2019April 2, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Evie Fordham President Donald Trump put a timeline on his call for Republicans to develop a comprehensive alternative to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Twitter Monday night. “Everybody agrees that ObamaCare doesn’t work. Premiums [and] deductibles are far too high — Really bad HealthCare! Even the Dems…

Nine Years After Obamacare Passed, Agency Finds Numbers Were Wildly Off

February 26, 2019February 25, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jarrett Stepman Democrats defeated Republicans in the Obamacare repeal fight by warning that 22 million Americans would be thrown off their health insurance. They pointed to data leaked from the Congressional Budget Office. Well, it turns out that data was completely wrong. According to a report by the…

Biography Reveals New Details Of Roberts’ Obamacare Vote

February 5, 2019February 4, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Kevin Daley A forthcoming biography of Chief Justice John Roberts contains the first account of the Supreme Court’s internal politicking over the 2012 NFIB v. Sebelius decision, in which Roberts joined with the Court’s four liberals to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. A review of the much…

Minnesota’s Betty McCollum Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Make Health Care a Right

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) recently introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would make health care a right for all American citizens. The Health Care for All Amendment, H.J. Res. 17, is currently co-sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) and states “health care, including care to prevent and treat…

Eric Swalwell Says Left-Wing Resistance was the ‘Most Significant’ Moment in 2018

December 25, 2018December 24, 2018 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Molly Prince Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California revealed that the most significant moment of 2018 was the anti-President Donald Trump movement. “It’s going to be the footsteps that went from the town squares,” Swalwell replied to Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball when asked in December what was the “most…

CNN Contributer Ezekiel Emanuel says Obamacare Ruling ‘Defies Constitutional Logic’

December 18, 2018December 18, 2018 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Nick Givas CNN contributor Ezekiel Emanuel said on “New Day” Monday that a recent court ruling declaring Obamacare unconstitutional “defies constitutional logic.” “That is a ridiculous ruling and you don’t have to rely on a doctor like me,” Dr. Emanuel said. “Lots of conservative legal scholars think it’s…

DFL Launches Smear Site Against GOP Nominee Doug Wardlow in Close AG Race

September 15, 2018September 14, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

In a competitive race for Minnesota’s attorney general, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party has launched an entire website devoted to smearing Republican candidate Doug Wardlow. A new poll set to release Friday allegedly shows that Keith Ellison and Wardlow are in a dead heat for Minnesota’s top law enforcement position, according…

Commentary: With His Return to the Senate, Does Arizona’s Jon Kyl Bring with Him Another Chance to Repeal Obamacare?

September 6, 2018September 5, 2018 Admin

by Robert Romano Former Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) has been appointed by Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey to replace the late John McCain. With the new appointment comes a new opportunity for Republicans to complete one of their key 2016 campaign promises: To repeal and replace Obamacare before the 2018…

Republican Dave Joyce Releases Bizarre Campaign Ad Distancing Himself from Trump

August 31, 2018September 4, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

In a risky political move, Rep. Dave Joyce recently tried to distance himself from President Trump in a congressional district that the president won by 12 percentage points in the 2016 Election. Joyce, who is seeking reelection in Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, recently released an ad in which he touts…

How Medicare’s Private Plans Surpass the Traditional Program

August 8, 2018August 7, 2018 Admin

by Dr. Kevin Pham and Robert E. Moffit Medicare Advantage, a system of competing private health plans, is surpassing the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program in delivering high quality, cost-effective medical care for senior and disabled citizens. The prominent research firm Avalere recently published a major study showing that Medicare Advantage generally outperformed traditional Medicare. This was especially so in caring for the most challenging patients who…

House Votes Overwhelmingly To Kill Obamacare’s Tax On Medical Devices

July 26, 2018July 26, 2018 Admin

by Julia Cohen A bipartisan majority in the House voted to repeal President Barack Obama’s 2.3 percent medical device tax Tuesday. The repeal passed 283-132, with 57 Democrats and all but one Republican voting in favor. North Carolina Republican Rep. Walter Jones was the sole Republican against the bill. “Minnesota’s innovators can breathe…

Feds Freeze ‘Obamacare’ Payments; Premiums Likely to Rise

July 9, 2018July 8, 2018 Admin

The Trump administration said Saturday it’s freezing payments under an “Obamacare” program that protects insurers with sicker patients from financial losses, a move expected to add to premium increases next year. At stake are billions in payments to insurers with sicker customers. In a weekend announcement, the Centers for Medicare…

Three Common Ways Governments Misuse Statistics and What You Can Do About It

July 1, 2018June 30, 2018 Admin

by Andrew Berryhill Government agencies and researchers produce endless reams of statistics. While statistics can be valuable, they can be easily misrepresented. A 2017 study on the use of statistics in news characterized the problem as such: “The constant supply of data produced by think tanks, government agencies, independent researchers, academics and…