Eight More Ways Women Will Benefit Under Obamacare Starting Tomorrow

Eight More Ways Women Will Benefit Under Obamacare Starting Tomorrow: When eight Obamacare regulations go into effect tomorrow, 47 million women will benefit from the guaranteed coverage of preventive services — including contraception coverage — without co-pays. The new rules will require most insurance plans to begin including the services at no additional cost at the next renewal date that falls on or after August [...]/p

A History Of Paul Ryan’s Attempts To Dismantle Social Security

A History Of Paul Ryan’s Attempts To Dismantle Social Security: That House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) supports the privatization of Social Security is well known. Ryan proposed $1.2 trillion in cuts and the partial privatization of Social Security upon taking control of the Budget Committee in 2011, and he has constantly warned about the supposed doom facing the program if major reforms aren’t [...]/p

Happy Birthday to Medicare | Common Dreams

Happy Birthday to Medicare | Common Dreams
"Keep that in mind the next time you hear a politician or pundit argue that the Medicare program should be converted to a private voucher program, where seniors would get a flat amount to buy a health policy from a commercial insurance company. Such schemes are lucrative for the big private insurers but would be bad for most seniors, leaving them with inferior and progressively deteriorating coverage."

The CEO Plan to Steal Your Social Security and Medicare

The CEO Plan to Steal Your Social Security and Medicare
"Many of the same folks who brought the economy to ruin just a few years ago are now going to come up with a plan that is supposed to set the budget and the economy on a forward path. At the center of their proposal are big cuts in Social Security and Medicare.

The most popular Social Security cut among this gang is a reduction in the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) by 0.3 percentage points. They are betting that are ordinary people are too dumb to notice this cut since it is a relatively small amount each year."

Obamacare Has Saved Seniors $4 Billion On Prescription Drugs

Obamacare Has Saved Seniors $4 Billion On Prescription Drugs: The Centers for Medicare And Medicaid Services (CMS) released data showing that over 5.2 million seniors and people with disabilities have already saved nearly $4 billion on prescription drugs as a direct result of the Affordable Care Act. The CMS data also showed that over 1 million people with Medicare saved an average of $629 [...]/p

New Arkansas Study Says Medicaid Expansion Would Save State $350 Million

New Arkansas Study Says Medicaid Expansion Would Save State $350 Million: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities today pointed out a new study from Arkansas’ Department of Human Services, which found the expansion of Medicaid in health reform would save the state $350 million between 2014 and 2025. This stands in stark contrast to an earlier estimate from the state that participation in the reform [...]/p

Study: Medicare Beneficiaries Receive Higher Quality, More Affordable Care

Study: Medicare Beneficiaries Receive Higher Quality, More Affordable Care: A study from the Commonwealth Fund found that adults receiving health care through Medicare receive higher quality care than those who have insurance through their employers or purchase their own coverage. The report concluded that Medicare beneficiaries are both the most satisfied with their insurance, and also the least likely to have problems paying medical [...]/p

Former Republican Leader Calls On GOP Governors To Implement Obamacare Exchanges

Former Republican Leader Calls On GOP Governors To Implement Obamacare Exchanges: Some Republican governors continue to resist implementing health insurance exchanges in their state as required under the Affordable Care Act, but former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is urging Republicans to embrace health reform. In an editorial for The Week, Frist argues that both parties should accept the exchanges, which originated as a “Republican [...]/p

How Income Inequality Has Hurt Social Security

How Income Inequality Has Hurt Social Security: Inequality has been front and center this political season, but one relatively unexamined aspect of the problem is the way it has exacerbated the financial distress of Social Security. As work by Monique Morrissey at the Economic Policy Institute/p

The Republicans' killer lies on health care

The Republicans' killer lies on health care
"If Mitt Romney and his right-wing allies get their way in Washington, D.C. and in the states, today's horrifying health care statistics will only grow worse in the GOP's future nightmare for America. That's just the sad truth."

Aetna Shareholders ‘Dismayed’ Over Insurer’s Donations To Anti-Obamacare Campaigns

Aetna Shareholders ‘Dismayed’ Over Insurer’s Donations To Anti-Obamacare Campaigns: A group of Aetna shareholders is challenging the health insurer for donating to the American Action Network and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — two organizations dedicated to undermining Obamacare. Aetna donated over $7 million to the two groups during the Democrats’ effort to enact health care reform, though the contributions did not become public [...]/p

State Hospitals: ‘It Only Makes Sense’ To Support Expanding Medicaid Under Obamacare

State Hospitals: ‘It Only Makes Sense’ To Support Expanding Medicaid Under Obamacare: When the Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s health care reform bill, it also altered an Obamacare provision that expands Medicaid so that states could choose to opt out of program expansion without losing federal funds. Now, all eyes are on the states as more and more Republican governors announce they will refuse the Medicaid expansion [...]/p

Mitt Romney's Offer of Government of Billionaires, for Billionaires, by Billionaires | Common Dreams

Mitt Romney's Offer of Government of Billionaires, for Billionaires, by Billionaires | Common Dreams
"How else can one explain the allegiance of the Republican party to the profoundly unpopular Ryan tax plan, which would eviscerate Medicare and Medicaid while delivering more tax cuts to the rich? What is the future of a party in a democracy when the powers-that-be can no longer even understand, much less address, the welfare of the vast majority of its citizens?"

SEE 2012 CLEARLY: Robert Reich Puts Things In Perspective In Under 3 Minutes

Gov. Rick Perry Opts Out of Medicaid Expansion While Texas Ranks Worst in U.S. for Health Care | AlterNet

Gov. Rick Perry Opts Out of Medicaid Expansion While Texas Ranks Worst in U.S. for Health Care | AlterNet
"He joins other Republican governors across the country in pledging to or considering turning down $258 billion in Medicaid funds and leaving 9.2 million Americans uninsured. A new study by the Brookings Institution found that states led by Republican governors have the most uninsured Americans, making political moves like Perry’s particularly harmful to Americans’ health."

Elizabeth Warren on what Republicans are trying to repeal

Elizabeth Warren on what Republicans are trying to repeal
"For seniors, health care reform means expanding Medicare coverage to pick up the costs of prescription drugs. As the donut hole closes, the average Massachusetts senior has so far saved about $650. But Mitt Romney, Scott Brown, and their fellow Republicans want to take that away."

GlaxoSmithKline Fined $3bn for Healthcare Fraud : Information Clearing House

GlaxoSmithKline Fined $3bn for Healthcare Fraud           : Information Clearing House
"GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanour criminal charges and pay $3bn to settle what government officials describe as the largest case of healthcare fraud in US history."

Obamacare is an effective middle-class tax cut; GOP repeal would be an effective tax increase

Obamacare is an effective middle-class tax cut; GOP repeal would be an effective tax increase
"As usual, serving their corporate owners, Republicans are trying to undermine President Obama's Affordable Care Act, now casting it as a tax increase, with Mitt Romney as usualsometimes sort of agreeing, except when he doesn't. Also as usual, the Republicans and Romney are factually wrong"

What the Affordable Care Act is all about

What the Affordable Care Act is all about
"That's the status quo Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to return to: needless, premature, painful death for people who aren't lucky enough to have won in the health insurance lottery."

How Obamacare Would Have Helped Workers Laid Off By Bain

How Obamacare Would Have Helped Workers Laid Off By Bain: "For older workers, Medicare would no longer be a safe bet. Romney plans to turn it into a voucher program, where a beneficiary is given a pre-determined amount of money with which to either buy private insurance or traditional Medicare. The government’s contribution will not keep up with rising health care costs, meaning seniors will likely have to spend more on care each year."

STUDY: Uninsured In Republican-Controlled Southern States Would Benefit Most From Medicaid Expansion

STUDY: Uninsured In Republican-Controlled Southern States Would Benefit Most From Medicaid Expansion: A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that southern states would see the most dramatic reduction in their uninsured populations because of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. The study found that all states would benefit from the expansion, but southern states — many run by conservative governors who have pledged to opt out of the measure [...]/p

Supreme Court’s decision valuable because it upholds important safety net legislation | Economic Policy Institute

Supreme Court’s decision valuable because it upholds important safety net legislation | Economic Policy Institute
"The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is valuable legislation for a host of reasons, but most notably, it provides coverage for millions of Americans who would not have been able to secure insurance, and therefore, health care when they need it."

How Well Does Conservative Misinformation About Obamacare Work? New Chart Illustrates: Pretty Well | AlterNet

How Well Does Conservative Misinformation About Obamacare Work? New Chart Illustrates: Pretty Well | AlterNet
"Mother Jones’ Kevin Drum created a new chart yesterday that illustrates how well Americans understand Obamacare amidst conservatives’ relentless manipulation of the facts. Apparently, their misinformation works pretty well."

5 Consequences Of The GOP’s Bill To Repeal Obamacare

5 Consequences Of The GOP’s Bill To Repeal Obamacare: The economy may be struggling to create enough jobs to keep up with population growth, but Republicans are busy drafting legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act — a law which the Supreme Court upheld last week and has already extended coverage for thousands of uninsured Americans. On Monday, the GOP will convene an “emergency” [...]/p

Why Medicare Gets A Boost From Obamacare, As Told By Andy Griffith

Rest in peace, Andy.

10 Reasons Most People Like Obamacare Once They Know What's Really In It | Personal Health | AlterNet

10 Reasons Most People Like Obamacare Once They Know What's Really In It | Personal Health | AlterNet
"There are two Affordable Care Acts. There's the legislation passed by Congress in 2009, and then there's the mythical Affordable Care Act – the perfidious “government takeover” decried and demagogued by so many conservatives (and quite a few liberals). The former is quite popular, the latter gets decidedly mixed reviews."

Obamacare Is A Major Tax Cut For Middle Class Families

Obamacare Is A Major Tax Cut For Middle Class Families: Following the Supreme Court’s Affordable Care Act ruling, Republicans — including Mitt Romney — have vigorously insisted that the Affordable Care Act is a tax on the American people. But instead of being a tax increase, Obamacare will provide millions of families with large tax credits to make health care more affordable. Only about 1 [...]/p

STUDY: Medicaid Expansion Saves States Billions

STUDY: Medicaid Expansion Saves States Billions: Republican politicians across the country claim that Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid, the widely popular program which makes health insurance available for lower-income Americans, will increase costs for states. Ten Republican governors have pledged not to accept the Medicaid expansion funds and 22 other governors are considering turning down the money. Directly disproving Republican claims, an [...]/p

McConnell: I’m ‘Not Convinced’ Congress Should Prohibit Insurers From Discriminating Against The Sick

McConnell: I’m ‘Not Convinced’ Congress Should Prohibit Insurers From Discriminating Against The Sick: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reiterated the GOP’s commitment to taking away health care insurance from millions of Americans who are expected to receive coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act, if Republicans win Congressional majorities in November. The senior senator from Kentucky, who himself enjoyes government-subsidized insurance as a federal employee, told [...]/p

Rick Scott on Medicaid expansion: If I can't steal it, Florida does not want it

Rick Scott on Medicaid expansion: If I can't steal it, Florida does not want it
"Before Rick Scott was elected governor of Florida, he was implicated in one of the biggest Medicare fraud cases in history. Scott was CEO of Columbia/HCA when it was fined $1.7 billion and found guilty of swindling the government. Later, Scott invoked the Fifth Amendment 75 times in a 2000 deposition in a later civil case."

John Boehner: Republicans won't cover people with pre-existing conditions

John Boehner: Republicans won't cover people with pre-existing conditions
"Remember, for Republicans covering the uninsured "is not the issue," whether that's people who can't afford insurance, or people who have been denied it. No, for Republicans the issue is taking this win away from President Obama. That, and putting insurance companies back in the driver's seat when it comes to your health care."

Kaiser poll: Majority of voters says it's time to move on from Obamacare fight

Kaiser poll: Majority of voters says it's time to move on from Obamacare fight
"But, a good chunk of Republicans are not behind them. They can't win this election with only Republican votes. Half of independents are saying, "enough already, you lost." As we get further from the ruling and people refocus on the economy and jobs, expect to see growth in the numbers of both independents and Republicans who think it's time to move on."

GOP Governors May Turn Down $258 Billion In Obamacare Funds, Leave 9.2 Million Americans Uninsured

GOP Governors May Turn Down $258 Billion In Obamacare Funds, Leave 9.2 Million Americans Uninsured: Despite the Supreme Court ruling that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, Republican governors are considering refusing billions in Medicaid funds which promise to insure millions of lower-income Americans without health care. The Court found that while the Medicaid provision is constitutional, the federal government cannot take away federal funds from states that refuse to [...]/p

Top Romney Adviser Breaks With Entire Republican Party: The Individual Mandate Is Not A Tax

Top Romney Adviser Breaks With Entire Republican Party: The Individual Mandate Is Not A Tax: Mitt Romney campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said the governor disagrees with Republicans’ claim that the individual mandate is a “tax,” contradicting the party message since the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had authority to mandate people purchase insurance under the taxing power. “The governor disagreed with the ruling of the Court,” Fehrnstrom said, “he agreed [...]/p