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Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr.

Tom Howell Jr. covers politics and the White House for The Washington Times. He can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Tom Howell Jr.

Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said the IRS is "presumably getting better at running the system as a whole," regarding the overpayment issue. (Associated Press)

IRS unable to recoup nearly $1 billion in Obamacare subsidies

The IRS overpaid nearly $4 billion to Obamacare customers through tax credits last year, and because of the way the law is written it can't even try to collect on a quarter of that, the Treasury Department's inspector general reported this week. Published December 27, 2018

More than half of the states and hundreds of cities, counties and American Indian tribes have taken the pharmaceutical industry — a major political contributor — to court over the opioids epidemic. (Associated Press/File)

States, tribes sue opioid makers over addiction epidemic

States, counties and Indian tribes that sued opioid makers over their role in the overdose crisis are poised to have their day in court in a make-or-break 2019, as pretrial wrangling gives way to showdowns before judges and juries. Published December 27, 2018

Pfizer said its system's rebates and discounts rise just as fast for patients. "We believe the best means to address affordability of medicines is to reduce the growing out-of-pocket costs that consumers are facing due to high deductibles and coinsurance, and ensure that patients receive the benefit of rebates at the pharmacy counter," said CEO Ian C. Read. (Associated Press)

Pfizer, Novartis, Big Pharma drug companies to end price freeze, raise costs in new year

President Trump was riding high in July after a series of strident tweets and personal phone calls paid off: Pfizer, a top drug manufacturer, had decided to defer price increases for the rest of the year. He called it "great news" for American consumers, and other companies followed suit. They froze their prices while the White House worked on a prescription-pricing blueprint. But with New Year's Day looming, the freeze is thawing. Published December 26, 2018

California Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom successfully campaigned on pushing the state for a sweeping, single-payer health care system. Other Democratic governors-elect are also looking to expand health care coverage and to reform the system. (Associated Press)

Democrats look to states to expand Medicare coverage

Democrats' plans for "Medicare for all" are likely to stall in a divided Congress, leaving liberal activists looking to the states in 2019, hoping newly elected progressive champions will try to push the boundaries beyond Obamacare. Published December 23, 2018

CDC: Animal doctors far more likely to take own lives

Veterinarians are far more likely to take their own lives than the general population, the government said Thursday in a study that finds animal doctors' workload, high debt and easy access to pharmaceuticals are driving the alarming trend. Published December 20, 2018

The HealthCare.gov website is photographed in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. Health insurance sign-ups for the Affordable Care Act are down with just a few days left to enroll in most states, even though premiums are stable, consumers have more choice, and millions of uninsured people can still get financial help. The nation’s uninsured rate could edge up again. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

HealthCare.gov signups finish at 8.5 million — down 300K

Roughly 8.5 million people selected plans or were automatically re-enrolled on HealthCare.gov, which is the portal for residents in most states. That's 300,000 fewer than the last sign-up season a year ago. Published December 19, 2018

In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., gives her victory speech at a Democratic election watch party in Boston. Even before they announce their White House intentions, New Hampshire’s ambitious neighbors are in the midst of a shadow campaign to shape the nation’s first presidential primary election of the 2020 season. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Elizabeth Warren: U.S. gov’t ought to make generic drugs

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday became the latest 2020 presidential contender to target soaring prescription costs, saying the U.S. government should act as a generic-drug manufacturer to force down prices. Published December 18, 2018

The HealthCare.gov website is photographed in Washington on Dec. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) ** FILE **

Obamacare fans ramp up defense of law after ruling

Obamacare supporters are shoring up their defenses after a federal judge decided to strike the law, launching an ad campaign Tuesday as blue-state attorneys set the stage for a swift appeal. Published December 18, 2018

A federal judge's ruling that the Obama health care law is unconstitutional has landed like a stink bomb among Republicans. (Associated Press/File)

Obamacare ruling sets up health care fight

President Trump says a federal judge's decision to strike Obamacare in its entirety is an early Christmas gift that clears the decks for a health care plan in the new year. Published December 16, 2018

This Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, file photo shows HealthCare.gov website on a computer screen in New York. The sign-up period for next year’s individual health insurance coverage runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. Picking a plan can initially involve several trips to websites like healthcare.gov just to understand the options. Shoppers who want to stick with the same plan must scrutinize it for changes. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)

Trump admin.: You can still shop on HealthCare.gov

The Trump administration is reminding Americans they can still sign up for Obamacare coverage even though a federal judge said Congress invalidated the law by striking its mandate to hold insurance, starting in 2019. Published December 15, 2018

President Barack Obama shares a humorous moment with a group of doctors from around the country in the Oval Office, Oct. 5, 2009, prior to a health insurance reform event at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Obamacare spiked by federal judge in Texas

Obamacare is fatally flawed and should be considered null and void, a federal judge said Friday in a bombshell ruling that sides with state Republicans who argue the GOP-led Congress' decision to gut the "individual mandate" penalty for going uninsured makes the rest of the program invalid. Published December 14, 2018