Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
HealthCare.gov signups dip slightly, due to late cancellations
Final Obamacare enrollment on HealthCare.gov slipped in recent days, after a share of people canceled plans at the last minute, the Trump administration said Thursday. Published December 28, 2017
Six in 10 Utahns support citizen effort to expand Medicaid: Survey
Nearly six in 10 Utahns support a citizen-initiative petition to expand Medicaid, the government insurance program for the poor, under Obamacare, according to a recent survey. Published December 28, 2017
Nearly half of Republicans think Trump repealed Obamacare: Poll
More than four in 10 Republicans think President Trump repealed Obamacare, even though much of the 2010 law remains intact after GOP efforts to repeal and replace it fell short this past year, according to a new poll. Published December 28, 2017
Number of Zika virus cases dropped dramatically
Zika has largely "burnt out" in the Americas, health experts say, with the disease that just a year ago spawned dire travel warnings, changed vacation plans and almost forced a federal government shutdown now dissipating with a whimper. Published December 27, 2017
Idaho reports 95K in Obamacare signups
Nearly 95,000 Idahoans selected a 2018 health plan on the state's Obamacare exchange -- a drop from last year's tally that nonetheless thrilled state officials, citing headwinds from Washington, and adds to previously reported totals from dozens of states that used the federal HealthCare.gov website. Published December 27, 2017
Mark Meadows introduces bill that would limit opioid prescriptions to seven days
Saying the American medical system is flooded with too many prescription painkillers, governors, lawmakers and health officials are trying to come up with ways to cut down on the amount of pills that reach the hands of patients. Published December 25, 2017
Opioid epidemic fighters aim to break addiction stigma
As federal and state leaders try to catch up with the opioids crisis, analysts say too many people still treat drug addiction as a personal failing instead of a disease and that it's keeping too many Americans from getting the help they need. Published December 25, 2017
Donald Trump seeks Democrats’ help with infrastructure plan
The White House on Sunday said President Trump wants to introduce an infrastructure package in January and reach for a deal with Democrats, a pivot toward bipartisanship after Republican-only efforts on health care and taxes produced mixed results this year. Published December 24, 2017
Charlie Dent, Pennsylvania Republican, to GOP: Be ‘prepared for the worst’ in 2018
Retiring Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania said Sunday his GOP colleagues should be "prepared for the worst" and "hope for the best" ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Published December 24, 2017
Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator, says GOP should worry about 2018
Sen. Bernard Sanders said Sunday that Republicans should "worry very much" about their prospects in the 2018 midterm elections. Published December 24, 2017
Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator: Failure to pass Dreamers fix would be ‘moral outrage’
Sen. Bernard Sanders said Sunday it will be a "moral outrage" if Congress does not act to protect so-called Dreamers. Published December 24, 2017
Jeff Flake, Arizona senator: Some GOP rallies look like ‘spasms of a dying party’
Retiring Republicans on Sunday said the party could face a tsunami of Democratic victories in 2018 if it stokes resentment, instead of governing effectively ahead of the midterm elections. Published December 24, 2017
White House says Trump wants bipartisan deal on infrastructure
The White House's legislative affairs director said Sunday that President Trump wants to unveil an infrastructure package in January and reach for a deal with Democrats. Published December 24, 2017
Ron Johnson subpoenas records on Obamacare ‘exemption’ for Congress
Sen. Ron Johnson gave the federal personnel office an early Christmas gift Friday -- a subpoena demanding to know why it "exempted" members of Congress from Obamacare by letting them retain employer subsidies for coverage. Published December 22, 2017
Second judge blocks Trump’s rollback of contraception rules
Another federal judge -- this one in California -- has blocked President Trump's decision to roll back Obama-era rules that require employers to provide free birth control as part of their health plans. Published December 21, 2017
HealthCare.gov signups drop slightly, end up at 8.8M
Sign-ups on the Obamacare website's main portal fell 400,000 short of last year's total, the Trump administration said Thursday, coming in at roughly 8.8 million. Published December 21, 2017
Drug-overdose deaths reached 63,000 in 2016
Drug overdoses continued to soar in 2016, claiming more than 63,000 lives as deaths tied to fentanyl skyrocketed, making it the deadliest opioid for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Published December 21, 2017
Obamacare juicier target for GOP after first swipe
After years of trying, Republicans took the first real swipe at Obamacare in their tax-cut bill this week — but far from slaking their thirst, the move has left them all the more eager to root out the rest of the health insurance law. Published December 20, 2017
GOP senators ask McConnell to postpone health bills
Key Senate Republicans have asked Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to push critical health care bills into the new year, saying spats over a stopgap to keep the government open made it impossible to stabilize Obamacare now. Published December 20, 2017
Medicaid was shortchanged $1B due to misclassified drugs: IG
Federal taxpayers may have forfeited at least $1 billion because a slate of drugs were misclassified under Medicaid's rebate program, the Health and Human Services' chief watchdog said Wednesday. Published December 20, 2017
