2 minute read: On July 8, 2020 the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania, upholding the new Trump Administration rule regarding contraceptive …
Democrats
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Affordable Care Act
ACA Changes Continue to Stabilize the Marketplace
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: According to research by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), there will be an average of 4.5 insurers per state this year, up from 4.0 in 2019 and …
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ACA Compliance
ACA Compliance Should Continue Despite Government Shutdown
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: As we enter the third week of government shutdown, we’re on track to surpass the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown affects many government agencies, including …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Will 2019 be the Year for Statewide Individual Health Insurance Mandates?
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: Since the Trump Administration took office, the ACA has been under fire from the White House and many Congressional Republicans. Legislative repeal of the ACA failed. However, …
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Affordable Care Act
What Employers Need to Know About the ACA (UPDATE)
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen7 minute read: It’s always interesting to look back and see how regulation develops. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is no exception. I wrote a five-part series about the ACA …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
ACA Support May Dictate Midterm Election Results
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: Americans across the country will report to their respective poll places to cast their ballots in the midterm elections on November 6, and the issue of healthcare …
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Affordable Care ActElectionHealthcare
Midterm Elections Won’t Affect the Employer Mandate
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: Since President Trump took office, a top priority has been to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and his administration continues its attempts to undermine …
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Affordable Care Act
More States Move Forward with Reinsurance Programs
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: The Trump administration has made repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act a top priority. What’s interesting, however, is that as the White House continues to undermine …
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Affordable Care Act
ACA Backlash: Two States Create Their Own Individual Mandates
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: The Trump Administration effectively repealed the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate when it made the penalties for an individual not obtaining healthcare $0 beginning 2019. What seemed …
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ACA ReformAffordable Care Act
Back to Congress: Changes to Modify the ACA to Continue Subsidy Payments to Insurers to Stabilize Insurance Markets Are Still In Play
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenBipartisan discussions spearheaded by the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions may lead to legislation that will continue cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurance companies providing health …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Temporary Shutdowns of Healthcare.gov Termed ACA Sabotage
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s become a bit of a sport. Websites and media outlets are tracking ways that the Trump administration has been working to undermine the Affordable Care Act. Organizations such as …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
CHIP Reauthorization in Congressional Committees Sees Mixed Results
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThere were mixed results yesterday in Congress as Senate and House committees considered bills reauthorizing funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The program provided healthcare coverage to 8.9 …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care ReformHealth Insurance Marketplace
Trump, McConnell Indicate There May Be Movement Towards Limited Bipartisan ACA Legislation to Stabilize Insurance Markets in 2018 [NEW REPORT]
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWith the GOP’s last-ditch attempt in Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)done for now, President Trump introduced the idea of working with Democrats to change healthcare …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance Marketplace
Path Now Clear for U.S. Senate Committee to Address Stabilizing Health Insurance Markets
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe on again, off again effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) finally fizzled out yesterday when Republican leadership in the U.S. Senate declined to bring to …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Possible Extension Of Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments, More Flexibility for States May Face A Challenge
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearings on the Affordable Care Act could lead to bipartisan legislation for Congressional approval to continue cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
U.S. Senate Health Committee Works to Reach Consensus With Healthcare Hearings Over
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenCan they reach a bipartisan consensus on fixing healthcare? That’s the question now that the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has completed its hearings on stabilizing …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
U.S. Senate Committee Continues Healthcare Hearings Today After Hearing From Governors Last Week
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions continues its hearings on healthcare policy today. The committee will hear testimony today on providing states greater flexibility in managing …
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Affordable Care Act
Surveys Show Public Support for ACA Continues to Grow
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s become clear that the American public is not so down on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), at least not anymore. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has been conducting regular …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Americans Want a Bipartisan Approach to Healthcare, According to a New KFF Poll
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenNow that the great Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal and replace debate has seemingly ended in Congress, we’ve seen movement by members of Congress towards a bipartisan approach to healthcare …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Americans Dissatisfied With Senate ACA Replacement, Per KFF Study; Senate Vote is Delayed Until After July 4
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe fate of Obamacare will not be determined this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Senate Republicans that a vote on the Senate replacement plan called “Better Care Reconciliation …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Complexities Await Should ACA Be Amended Prior To Repeal
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn June 26, President Trump tweeted, “Republican Senators are working very hard to get there, with no help from the Democrats. Not easy! Perhaps just let OCare crash & burn!” …
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ACA RepealHealth Care Reform
As Secret ACA Repeal Looms Overhead, Senate Democrats Voice Protest
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenLast week it was revealed that Senate GOP have been meeting behind closed doors, readying perhaps a complete rewrite of Trump’s proposed healthcare bill, the American Health Care Act. Prior …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Senate Republicans Ready ACA Replacement Plan In Private
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenEarlier this year, House Republicans gathered in the wee hours of the morning to secretly prepare a replacement plan for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The result …
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Health Care CoverageHealth Care Reform
Two New Health Care Tax Bills Approved Pending AHCA Passing
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThere was a time in the early stages of the ACA repeal where the Trump Administration shrugged off any ACA-mandated taxes going forward. The growing concern was that a repeal …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Senate GOP Views 2020 As Target For ACA Repeal
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenSince Trump took the seat as President at the top of 2017, the Republican Party has arguably been inching toward opposition within itself, particularly when it comes to healthcare reform. …
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Health Care CoverageMedicaid
Will Medicaid Be A Casualty Of The AHCA? New Study Shows Americans Are Concerned
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhile the Affordable Care Act made significant strides in Medicaid Expansion, that may all change should the American Health Care Act (AHCA) be put into action. While federal funding for …
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Affordable Care ActTax Reform
The Questionable Fate Of Trump’s Promises For Tax Reform
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn May 30, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer explained that President Trump’s “plan for the most significant tax reform in decades continues to progress.” However, that may not reflect …
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Affordable Care ActAmerican Health Care Act (AHCA)
Has The Public Changed Its Tune On The Affordable Care Act?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe fate of the Affordable Care Act currently rests in the hands of Senate as they dissect Trump’s American Health Care Act and either approve it, dismantle it or just …
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American Health Care Act (AHCA)Health Care Coverage
CBO Scoring Shows 23 Million Will Lose Insurance by 2026 Under the Revised House Healthcare Bill
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenSo much of Senate’s decisions appear to be surrounding the House GOP’s proposed healthcare bill rested on a score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The scoring was guaranteed by …
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Affordable Care Act
Senate Begins Drafting Its Own ACA Replacement Bill, Some Related Taxes May Stay
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWithin hours of Trump’s proposed American Health Care Act bill passing through House vote with only four votes despite a large Republican majority, rumors circulated that it would more than …
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On April 30th, President Trump tweeted the following in a series of two tweets: “You can’t compare anything to ObamaCare because ObamaCare is dead,” he tweeted. “Dems want billions to …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Minnesota And Alaska Lead The Charge For State Healthcare Empowerment
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn Trump’s plans for healthcare reform, individual states were a high priority in allowing more localized power from state-to-state. While the American American Healthcare Act (AHCA) has since collapsed, the …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Another Attempt to Repeal the ACA in the Foreseeable Future? Unlikely.
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s been more than seven years since the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and there were some 60 plus attempts to repeal by Republicans during …
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Affordable Care ActAmerican Health Care Act (AHCA)
Just Weeks After Replacement Plan Surfaces, House GOP Readies Amendments
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenA few weeks ago, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan voiced the House GOP’s plans for a repeal and the replacement plan, which placed a heavy focus on eliminating ACA-mandated taxes. …
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Health Care CoverageReporting
Employer Reporting Continues Under House Republican Leadership Proposed Bill
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn March 6, 2017, the House Leadership recently unveiled its proposed bill called “American Health Care Act.”Among its provisions, the bill calls for termination of the issuance of premium tax …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Former GOP Speaker Doubts an ACA Repeal Will Occur
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn February 24th, President Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and echoed his continued sentiment that the Affordable Care Act must be repealed and replaced. He referred …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
The Affordable Care Act Repeal And Replace: Acknowledgement of Delay By President Trump
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt was early last month when House Speaker Paul Ryan suggested that an ACA repeal would be far from immediate, as the transitional period in and of itself could take …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
As ACA Repeal Draws Near, The CBO Weighs In
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn a report dated January 17, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) offered estimates on what would happen should the ACA be repealed. These figures range from premium prices to statistics …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Trump Supporters And Healthcare: What Do They Want?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn mid-January, Republicans made the official first step in repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by voting 227-198 in permitting the GOP to bring their bill for repeal of the …
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Affordable Care Act
Will They Or Won’t They? Republicans Carry On The Move Toward ACA Repeal
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn a news conference held on January 12th in Washington, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan advised that House committees will be instrumental in the repeal and replacement of the …
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ACA ComplianceReporting
Some ACA Compliance Still Required By Employers Despite Possible Repeal
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAs conflicting opinions of an ACA Repeal continue to loom overhead, from the Republican viewpoint, a repeal seems inevitable. However, this does not translate to an elimination of ACA compliance …
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ACA Compliance
Regardless of Election & Rhetoric, Employers Are Still on the Hook for 2016 ACA Reporting
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt remains unclear whether Trump and the Republican-majority Congress will repeal and replace the ACA. Shortly after loudly pledging that he will repeal and replace the ACA, just three days …
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Affordable Care Act
The ACA Comes Under Fire Again For Allocations Of Funds
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOnce again furthering the rift between the Democrats’ and Republicans’ respective opinions of the Affordable Care Act, cost-sharing reductions return to question. In a hearing held in July, a representative …
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Affordable Care ActPolitical Parties
GOP Senate funds the ACA in 2017 joining Democrats
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt comes as no surprise that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is favored more among Democrats than Republicans. However, perhaps the tides are changing, at least when it comes to …
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Affordable Care Act
Louisiana Joins Other States In Medicaid Expansion
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen**Updated 7/6/2016, 2:15pm** Of all the hot topics surrounding the Affordable Care Act, the state-to-state expansion of Medicaid is perhaps the hottest. Medicaid expansion arguably draws the line between Democrats …
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Affordable Care ActMedicaid
Wyoming’s Governor Loses on Medicaid Expansion
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenDespite vocal support by Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, the State Senate rejected a proposal to expand Medicaid. The vote means Wyoming will not receive $268 million in federal …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoveragePolitical Parties
How Will The Newly Insured Vote?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAs millions of Americans have gained health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, analysts are pondering whether this change in status will have implications on how these individuals vote. …
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Affordable Care ActLegislationMedicaid/Medicare
Medicare and Medicaid Popular After 50 Years
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhen Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law on July 30th 50 years ago, opponents attacked the programs as wasteful, intrusive and a precursor to socialism or communism. Today both …