Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
H&R Block: Customers paying twice as much to satisfy Obamacare penalty
Halfway through tax season, uninsured filers are paying more than twice as much as they did last year to satisfy Obamacare's penalty for lacking coverage, H&R Block said Tuesday, in an analysis that says other customers still cannot match their incomes to IRS subsidies they got on the law's exchanges. Published March 8, 2016
Top Obamacare official eyes stability on exchanges, a $40 billion market
The man in charge of implementing Obamacare rallied insurers to the cause Tuesday, saying there is a viable path forward for the law's insurance markets so long as health plans stay affordable and meet consumers' demands. Published March 8, 2016
Rob Portman’s heroin epidemic bill poised to pass Senate with bipartisan support
A Senate bill to address the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic advanced with bipartisan support Monday, clearing the way for final passage this week. Published March 7, 2016
Senate postpones action on 2017 budget amid conservative revolt in House
The Senate will postpone any action on the coming year's budget, a GOP chairman said Monday in the clearest sign yet that Republican leaders will struggle to forge a unified blueprint amid grumbling from conservatives and defense hawks over spending levels the parties agreed to in the fall. Published March 7, 2016
Employers sill offering health insurance to workers, pushing fewer into Obamacare exchanges
Businesses are dumping far fewer of their employees into Obamacare's exchanges than analysts initially had predicted, according to a new analysis released last week that suggests the massive health law has not been the economic spoilsport critics had feared. Published March 6, 2016
Tom Frieden. CDC chief, to visit Puerto Rico to address Zika virus crisis
The chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will head to Puerto Rico in coming days to get a firsthand look at the U.S. territory's response to the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease linked to serious birth defects. Published March 4, 2016
Obama: 20M gained coverage under health law
President Obama took a victory lap Thursday in Milwaukee to celebrate his health overhaul's gains there and announce that 20 million Americans have gained coverage under his signature law. Published March 3, 2016
Senate GOP thwarts bid to add $600 million for opioid crisis
The GOP shot down Democrats' bid to add $600 million in new money to legislation combatting the heroin and opioid epidemic, with lawmakers saying there's plenty of money already in the pipeline. Published March 2, 2016
D.C. appeals court grapples with Congress’ ‘Obamacare exemption’
A D.C. appeals court struggled Wednesday to see how a city resident was directly harmed by Congress' decision to label itself a small business so that lawmakers and staff could comply with Obamacare and still keep employer subsidies that make their coverage affordable. Published March 2, 2016
Steny Hoyer: Hillary Clinton will be ‘tougher, smarter’ foe for GOP combatants
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that businessman Donald Trump or whoever wins the GOP presidential nomination will run into a much tougher opponent in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner. Published March 1, 2016
Obama says Senate opioid bill falls short on funding
The White House said Tuesday a bipartisan Senate bill to address the nation's prescription opioid and heroin epidemic doesn't provide enough funding to implement its own policies. Published March 1, 2016
Senate drug epidemic bill snared in funding debate
The Senate voted Monday to take up legislation to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic that is ravaging communities across the nation, though the bipartisan bill could turn into an election-year football. Published February 29, 2016
Only 15 percent say Obamacare has helped them directly; a quarter see harm: poll
Only 15 percent of U.S. adults say Obamacare has helped them directly, according to a new poll that finds a quarter think it did them harm. Published February 29, 2016
GOP to U.N.: Don’t use Zika outbreak to loosen abortion laws
The Zika virus isn't transmitting within the U.S., but pregnant women who contracted the virus elsewhere had abortions or miscarriages upon their return, scientists reported Friday, signaling the virus is striking close to home even as congressional Republicans warned the United Nations not to let "opportunistic" advocates roll back abortion laws abroad. Published February 26, 2016
Puerto Rico fiscal crisis requires a two-step solution, Treasury Dept. says
Congress should let Puerto Rico restructure its crippling debt but should impose strict new federal oversight to make sure the island territory doesn't backslide on its budget cuts, the Obama administration said Thursday, trying to figure a way out of a thorny political impasse. Published February 25, 2016
David Vitter holds OPM nominee as part of Obamacare probe
Sen. David Vitter followed through Thursday on his threat to hold up President Obama's pick to lead the government's personnel office, saying he still doesn't understand why Congress was granted small-business status that "exempted" it from Obamacare, even though it employs thousands. Published February 25, 2016
No Ebola funds to fight Zika, Obama’s health officials tell Congress
President Obama's top public health officials told Congress on Wednesday that there isn't enough leftover Ebola funding to fight the Zika virus and said Republicans will need to find another $2 billion to combat the mosquito-borne illness. Published February 24, 2016
HHS: We’re cracking down on offseason Obamacare signups
The Obama administration said Wednesday it is taking steps to prevent misuse and abuse of special enrollment periods that allow Obamacare customers in 38 states to get covered on HealthCare.gov outside of the traditional signup period. Published February 24, 2016
Senators lobby for proactive stance against global health scares
The Ebola outbreak's aftermath and the creeping threat of Zika virus underscore the need to fund basic research and gird for epidemics before they hit, members of Congress said Wednesday, signaling they are weary of emergency funding requests to deal with global health scares. Published February 24, 2016
Senate confirms Robert Califf, Obama’s pick to lead FDA, despite opioid outcry
The Senate approved President Obama's pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, easily overcoming loud protests from lawmakers who used the nomination to criticize the agency's response to the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic that is ravaging the U.S. Published February 24, 2016
