Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Jeff Flake, Arizona senator, urges Donald Trump, Congress to protect ‘Dreamers’
Sen. Jeff Flake says Congress should take action to protect so-called Dreamers. Published September 3, 2017
Trump admin. slashes funding for Obamacare promotion
The Trump administration announced Thursday it will dramatically slash taxpayer spending on Obamacare promotion next year, reeling in millions in advertising and tying grants for "navigator" groups to how many people they signed up last year. Published August 31, 2017
John Kasich, John Hickenlooper recommend Obamacare fixes
A bipartisan pair of governors advised Congress Thursday to bolster Obamacare's ailing markets by funding critical insurer payments and a temporary fund for super-costly customers, while making it easier for states to forge their own path. Published August 31, 2017
FDA approves first-ever gene therapy in U.S.
Federal regulators green-lighted an "historic" gene therapy Wednesday that uses the body's own immune cells to attack an acute form of leukemia in children and young adults. Published August 30, 2017
CDC: 28 million lacked insurance in early 2017
The number of uninsured Americans remained relatively unchanged from early 2016 to 2017, the government said Tuesday, offering fresh evidence that Obamacare's sweeping coverage gains are stalling out. Published August 29, 2017
CDC warns Hurricane Harvey victims of post-storm risks
Americans reeling from the storm damage and flooding in Texas and Louisiana should watch out for major health risks after Hurricane Harvey is gone, federal health officials said Tuesday, warning residents to avoid everything from downed power lines and carbon monoxide to mosquitoes and mold. Published August 29, 2017
HHS IG alert: Gov’t must do more to detect, prevent nursing home abuse
More than 130 Medicare recipients sustained injuries from likely abuse or neglect at nursing homes in 2015 and 2016, according to a government audit that says federal officials must do more to protect the elderly and crack down on offenders. Published August 28, 2017
Hurricane Harvey could cause increase in Zika infections, say experts
Hurricane Harvey could ignite a surge in mosquitos capable of spreading Zika in southeast Texas, public health experts warned even as the storm was lashing the Gulf Coast over the weekend. Published August 27, 2017
CDC: HPV vaccination rates rising, though rural areas lag behind
Most parents are taking their children to get vaccinated for sexually transmitted HPV, yet fewer than half of U.S. teens received the follow-up shots they need to be fully protected, the government said Thursday in a study that also finds rural areas are falling behind. Published August 24, 2017
Every U.S. county poised to have Obamacare insurer
Obamacare customers in every part of the U.S. are poised to have at least one insurer to choose from in 2018, after Ohio regulators said Thursday they convinced a nonprofit to offer plans in the nation's last remaining "bare county." Published August 24, 2017
Obamacare ‘bare county’ crisis alleviated, all but one U.S. county has exchange markets
Enticed by local monopolies and leverage to charge high rates, a crop of insurers has stepped in and all but erased Obamacare's "bare county" crisis heading into 2018, allowing state regulators to breathe a little easier ahead of a sign-up season that will still be marked by uncertainty and scarce choices. Published August 23, 2017
Senate health panel to vet Obamacare reform ideas from five governors: 3 Republican, 2 Democratic
The Senate Health Committee will hear from five governors -- three Republicans and two Democrats -- when it convenes a hearing on Obamacare's wobbly insurance markets next month, the panel announced Wednesday. Published August 23, 2017
Senate health panel announces hearings on Obamacare markets
The Senate Health Committee will hold a pair of hearings on patching up Obamacare's wobbly markets as soon as Congress returns in September from the summer recess, its Republican chairman and ranking Democrat announced Tuesday. Published August 22, 2017
Ballot battle erupts in Ohio over health care costs
They lost in California, but that hasn't stopped activists from waging a referendum war in Ohio against the big pharmaceutical companies. Published August 21, 2017
Zika virus reduced to few cases after scare in 2016
The Zika virus scare that sparked unprecedented travel warnings and a rush on bug spray in 2016 has petered out in its second year, with scientists saying that efforts to stamp out disease-carrying mosquitoes and the human immunity built up over the last year have combined to contain the spread. Published August 20, 2017
EpiPen manufacturer Mylan agrees to $465M settlement with U.S.
Mylan, the maker of EpiPens for allergy sufferers, has agreed to pay $465 million to settle claims it short-changed taxpayers by misclassifying its popular device as a generic instead of a brand-name product, a U.S. attorney for Massachusetts said Thursday. Published August 17, 2017
Donald Trump will make contested Obamacare payments in August: White House
The Trump administration confirmed Wednesday it will make critical Obamacare payments to insurers for August -- one day after congressional scorekeepers outlined the risks of cutting off the contested reimbursements over the long haul. Published August 16, 2017
CBO: Cutting off Obamacare payments would jack premiums up 20 percent
Cutting off Obamacare reimbursement payments for insurers -- as President Trump has threatened to do -- would send premiums soaring by 20 percent next year, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday, predicting that health insurance companies would hike rates to make up for the loss of taxpayers' money. Published August 15, 2017
Donald Trump sticks by Scott Garrett nomination to Export-Import Bank
President Trump is standing by former Rep. Scott Garrett, his pick to chair the Export-Import Bank, and is prepared to brave protests from business groups and senators who say the ex-congressman won't even commit to protecting the agency he's supposed to lead. Published August 13, 2017
Kaiser Family Foundation: Health care premiums up by double digits in 2018
The uncertainty sown by President Trump over health payments is causing double-digits premiums increases for Obamacare customers next year, according to new reports. Published August 11, 2017
