Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Kathleen Sebelius and fierce Obamacare critic, Ted Cruz, sit together at gala
On a night when D.C. politicians are expected to put down their swords, departing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius found herself sitting down to dinner with the fiercest Obamacare critic in Congress. Published May 4, 2014
Nearly half of all states hit Obamacare enrollment goals: analysis
Nearly half the states, or 44 percent, met or exceeded their enrollment expectations under Obamacare, according to a new analysis that assumes about 15 percent of customers will not pay their first premium and effectuate coverage. Published May 2, 2014
HHS releases new Obamacare figures, but can’t say how many paid
The Obama administration released a fresh round of Obamacare data for all 50 states Thursday, yet offered no payment data to combat Republican claims that only two-thirds of customers in the federal marketplace have paid their first premium. Published May 1, 2014
Health care bills still due for 3rd of enrollees, Republican polling shows
Only two-thirds of people who signed up for health care coverage on the federal Obamacare marketplace had paid their first month's premiums as of April 15, according to a House Republican-led survey of every insurer on the exchange system. Published April 30, 2014
CEO of Obamacare website firm: We were ‘never fired’
The chief of CGI Group, the Canadian contractor most closely linked to the flawed rollout of Obamacare last fall, told investment analysts Wednesday the company was not "fired" by anyone in the U.S. and that fallout from the web glitches was overblown in the press. Published April 30, 2014
Wellpoint, a big Obamacare insurer, dampens fears of big-time rate increases
Wellpoint, a key insurer on the new Obamacare marketplace, tempered fears on Wednesday of huge rate increases in 2015, saying the mix and characteristics of members from the health overhaul's exchanges are exceeding their expectations. Published April 30, 2014
Sen. David Vitter revives effort to make Congress come clean about Obamacare use
Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana has resurrected his bid to make sure Capitol Hill lawmakers and staff do not get special treatment under Obamacare. Published April 30, 2014
Enrollment spending much higher in state-run Obamacare exchanges, study shows
A new study shows "striking" differences in state-to-state spending to get the uninsured enrolled in health coverage through an Obamacare exchange, with state-run markets spending nearly $12 more per uninsured resident than states that relied on the federal exchange system. Published April 30, 2014
Obamacare website fix will cost feds $121 million
Fixing the Obamacare website to get it ready to handle a second round of enrollments will cost the federal government $121 million, according to Accenture, the contractor hired to repair the glitchy website after the original contractor, CGI Federal, was fired in January. Published April 29, 2014
Sen. Mary Landrieu blasts decision to keep Louisiania voters from deciding Medicaid expansion
Sen. Mary Landrieu cried foul Tuesday over a Louisiana state Senate panel's decision last week to reject a measure that would have allowed state voters to say whether they want to expand Medicaid coverage under the health care law. Published April 29, 2014
Plan would dedicate federal park in D.C. as WWI Memorial
Members of Congress said Tuesday they want to rededicate a federal park near the White House as a national World War I memorial, an attempt to quiet complaints that veterans of all the 20th century's major conflicts have been suitably honored in the nation's capital except for those who fought in "the Great War." Published April 29, 2014
Surge in sign-ups did not change views about Obamacare, poll shows
A closely watched poll said a late surge in Obamacare sign-ups had no effect on Americans' views of the health care law, with 46 percent holding an unfavorable opinion and 38 percent seeing it in a favorable light. Published April 29, 2014
Democrats, Republicans use Medicaid law as a campaign weapon
The attack line from Arkansas Democrats is simple: If Rep. Tom Cotton had his way, at least 155,000 of the state's poorest residents would lose the health care coverage they just received under a bipartisan plan that other states have imitated. Published April 28, 2014
House passes modest modification to D.C.’s Height Act
The House easily passed legislation Monday that allows the nation's capital to use more of its rooftop space without spoiling the city's iconic views. Published April 28, 2014
Oregon abandons state Obamacare exchange; first to do so
Oregon has become the first state to ditch its Obamacare exchange, opting Friday to abandon the $245 million state-run portal and rely on the federal HealthCare.gov site for private health policies when enrollment starts again in November. Published April 25, 2014
Oregon may ditch Obamacare portal
Oregon may drop its glitch-laden Obamacare portal and rely on the federally run HealthCare.gov website instead, a stark turnaround for a state that embraced the health care law but failed to deliver a fully functioning exchange. Published April 24, 2014
FDA extends its reach to e-cigarettes in proposal
Five years in the making, the Obama administration’s move Thursday to regulate electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products left many anti-smoking advocates waiting to exhale. Published April 24, 2014
Obamacare class-action suit opens a new legal front
Lawrence Basich is on the hook for $400,000 in medical bills that would have been paid by his insurer had his application been processed correctly by Nevada's Obamacare exchange. Published April 23, 2014
Most Americans OK with Obamacare contraception mandate: study
More than two-thirds of Americans support an Obamacare rule requiring employers to insure birth control as part of company health plans, according a new study. Published April 23, 2014
Supreme Court upholds Michigan affirmative action ban
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a state electorate's right to ban the use of race in public university admissions, a decision that rekindles the debate over affirmative action in an election year and could clear the way for ballot initiatives across America. Published April 22, 2014
