The Action for Dental Health Act of 2018 has been described as a modest piece of legislation.
But supporters have also hailed the measure as a heartening acknowledgment by federal legislators of the need to respond to the long-unmet dental needs of millions of Americans. In a rare show of bipartisanship, Congress last week passed the legislation, which is headed to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. Continue reading
Photo: Turtle Mint via Flickr
The 2019 ACA enrollment season is getting off to a stronger start – more health plan participation in the federal exchange, lower premiums – than many had expected.
It still faces enormous stresses, with the elimination of the mandate penalty, and the availability of alternative health coverage options that may undermine the markets. But for now, the news is quite good. Continue reading
Photo: Ted Eytan via FlickrA 2017 rally in front of the White House in support of the ACA.
Can’t keep track of all the ways the Trump administration has weakened (many Democrats would say “sabotaged”) the Affordable Care Act?
Here are 14 (and counting) instances, according to a useful graphic from Haeyoun Park and Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times’ Upshot.
The most recent is the July 10 announcement slashing funding for ACA enrollment outreach workers, also known as navigators. Continue reading
States are going to have unprecedented opportunities to shape health care policy during the next couple years, as President Trump’s administration approves Medicaid waivers and loosens rules around the Affordable Care Act.
States are going to have tools and options they have never had before, said Joanne Kenen, executive health editor at Politico. Kenen moderated a panel on states and health care in the age of Trump on Friday at the Association of Health Care Journalists conference, Health Journalism 2018, in Phoenix. Continue reading
On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced he would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to declare a 90-day public health emergency to address the ongoing opioid epidemic that last year claimed at least 64,000 American lives.
One of the promises made in the president’s declaration is to allow some patients to obtain medication for addiction treatment through telemedicine. Continue reading
If you’ve been trying to figure out where President Trump stands on repairing the Affordable Care Act – good luck. He literally has changed positions in as little as 11 minutes – reporters have clocked it. (Check out this Atlantic piece about how much Trump has flipped back and forth.) The president may well change his position again by the time you read this. Nevertheless… Continue reading