Tom Howell Jr.

Many uninsured are ignorant of Obamacare mandate tax and lapsed coverage deadline: survey

More than four out of every 10 people likely to be sanctioned for not having health insurance in 2014 heard "nothing or only little" about the Obamacare tax penalty, according to a new study that underscores the potential backlash administration officials could face from uninsured Americans before the April 15 tax deadline. Published February 19, 2015

David Vitter will hold up nominee until he gets answers on Obamacare ‘exemption’ for Congress

Republican Sen. David Vitter has informed the Obama administration's personnel chief that he will hold up the nomination of her deputy until he gets answers about how Congress is treated under Obamacare. Published February 19, 2015

Obama admin takes victory lap over Obamacare figures after signup deadline

Obamacare is working and here to stay, the administration declared Wednesday in extolling last-minute activity that pushed signups to 11.4 million nationwide, including 8.6 million from the HealthCare.gov marketplace that serves 37 states and is under threat at the Supreme Court. Published February 18, 2015

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to thank U.S. for Ebola aid during D.C. visit

Liberia's president is set to speak on Capitol Hill later this month, marking her first visit to Washington since she declared a state of emergency to deal with the Ebola outbreak that gripped West Africa last summer. Published February 18, 2015

Obamacare enrollment deadline gets winter weather extension

First it was man-made website glitches, and now it's Mother Nature's wrath that have given Obamacare supporters the excuse to extend application deadlines in the second open enrollment for the health exchanges. Published February 17, 2015

White House touts 11.4 million Obamacare signups-and-counting after deadline

More than 11 million people selected a health plan under Obamacare during the enrollment period that ended Sunday, the White House announced Tuesday in the first peak at how many customers flocked to the exchanges in the law's second round. Published February 17, 2015

Washington state offers two-month reprieve for Obamacare enrollment deadline

Washington state's health exchange announced Monday that residents who face Obamacare's tax penalty for lacking health insurance can qualify for a special enrollment period through April 17, even though Sunday was the deadline to sign up for coverage. Published February 16, 2015

Democrats urge Obama to give the uninsured more time to sign up, avoid Obamacare penalty

With the second Obamacare enrollment period in the books, congressional Democrats are already calling on the administration to give those who missed Sunday's deadline more time. They say it's unfair to expect health care consumers to have followed the law's coverage mandate because their first round of Obamacare taxes aren't due until April. Published February 16, 2015

Officials push Obamacare sign-ups ahead of Sunday’s enrollment deadline

The Obama administration pleaded Sunday with uninsured Americans to sign up on the Affordable Care Act's exchanges, warning it is their "last chance" to get health insurance for the year. Published February 15, 2015

Obamacare deadline looms as affordable subsidies at risk in court

The administration is herding last-minute Obamacare shoppers into HealthCare.gov before Sunday's deadline to get insured, even as a looming Supreme Court decision could make that coverage unaffordable for many of them before the year's end. Published February 12, 2015

Ron Klain, Ebola czar, stepping down: White House

President Obama said Thursday that his Ebola czar, Ron Klain, is planning to return to the private sector, signaling a further wind-down in the fight against the deadly virus that's killed over 9,000 in West Africa. Published February 12, 2015

Obama promotes HealthCare.gov with goofy web video targeted at young enrollees

President Obama reached into an old bag of tricks to tout his health care law Thursday, taking part in a humorous web video to spread the word about Sunday's deadline to sign up. Published February 12, 2015

Obama lauds U.S. troops, workers in fight against Ebola

President Obama on Wednesday praised U.S. troops and aid workers who entered Ebola's hot zone in West Africa as paragons of American leadership who've set the stage for victory over the deadly virus that's killed more than 9,000. Published February 11, 2015

Obamacare tax warnings issued days before health care coverage deadline

With five days left to sign up, the Obama administration has begun to spotlight the penalty some Americans could pay for failing to get health insurance under Obamacare this year. Published February 10, 2015

Congress shows bipartisan support for vaccinations

Congressional lawmakers said Tuesday that well-educated parents who refuse to immunize their children against measles and other diseases are eroding decades of medical progress in America, delivering a bipartisan show of unity after top Republican presidential contenders last week stumbled over the issue. Published February 10, 2015

Lawmakers push bipartisan message of vaccine safety amid measles outbreak

Congressional lawmakers found a rare slice of bipartisan agreement over health policy Tuesday, saying well-educated parents who refuse to immunize their children against measles and other diseases are eroding decades of medical progress in America. Published February 10, 2015

Obamacare subsidies cut premiums by average of 72 percent: HHS

Obamacare enrollees who qualify for subsidies on the federal exchange will see their monthly premiums drop by an average of 72 percent in 2015 due to the help from taxpayers, the Obama administration said Monday in a report that underscores the stakes of a health showdown before the Supreme Court this term. Published February 9, 2015