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Headlines in Health Policy: January 7, 2019

Headlines in Health Policy Affordable Care Act

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As Health Law Case Goes to Appeals Court, Sign-Ups Steady

Democratic attorneys general appealed a federal court ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional, as new enrollment numbers underscored the staying power of the Obama-era law. The government reported that about 8.4 million Americans have signed up this year under the law, reflecting steady demand for its subsidized health insurance. (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press)

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Newsletter Article

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Obamacare, Ruled Invalid by Federal Judge, Will Remain in Effect During Appeal

The federal judge in Texas who ruled that the entire ACA was invalid issued a stay in the case, meaning that the law will remain in effect while the ruling is appealed. The judge, Reed O’Connor of the Federal District Court in Fort Worth, said that the ruling should not go into immediate effect “because many everyday Americans would otherwise face great uncertainty” during an appeal. (Sarah Mervosh, New York Times)

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ACA Mandate Gone, but a Few States Still Require Coverage

The mandate directing individuals to obtain health insurance or face tax penalties ended last week for most, but not all, Americans. In Massachusetts, an individual mandate that has been on the books since 2006 will continue in the absence of the federal fines that were eliminated as part of the Republican-backed tax reform law passed in 2017. Most residents of New Jersey and the District of Columbia must also be covered or incur fines in 2019 after lawmakers, fearing widespread disruption in health insurance markets and sharply higher premiums, enacted laws replacing the federal mandate. (Bob Salsberg, Associated Press)

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Democrats Won the House on Obamacare. Here’s How They Plan to Defend It.

House Democrats in power for the first time in nearly a decade are opening a sustained campaign to hammer Republicans on Obamacare, seeking to force the GOP’s hand on popular policies like protecting patients with preexisting conditions. The rising public support for Obamacare was a winner for Democrats in 2018, and they want to capitalize on that going into 2020, rolling out their own bills to preserve and expand coverage under the Affordable Care Act while plotting a potentially tendentious path toward eventual universal coverage or "Medicare for All." (Adam Cancryn and Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico)

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The Shutdown

How the Government Shutdown Affects Health Programs

There seems to be no end in sight for the current partial government shutdown, the third since the beginning of the Trump administration. For the vast majority of the federal government’s public health efforts, though, it’s business as usual. That’s because Congress has already passed five of its major appropriations bills, funding about three-fourths of the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs. But seven bills are outstanding — including those that fund the Interior, Agriculture, and Justice departments — and that puts the squeeze on some important health-related initiatives. (Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News)

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Medicaid

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Conservative Health Care Experiment Leads to Thousands Losing Coverage

Arkansas is throwing thousands of people off its Medicaid rolls each month for not complying with work requirements, blindsiding vulnerable residents panicked about losing their health coverage. Views differ on the fairness of the unprecedented social experiment, but there’s unanimity here that it’s causing confusion (Rachana Pradhan, Politico)

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Maine's New Governor Moves Ahead with Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid expansion is finally advancing in Maine, more than a year after voters approved it at the ballot box. Newly sworn in Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who campaigned on broadening access to health insurance, used her first executive order to direct the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to begin implementation of Medicaid expansion. (Tami Luhby, CNN)

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Headlines in Health Policy: January 7, 2019