Posts Tagged ‘Obamacare’

Experimental Proof That an IRS Letter Can Save Lives

December 14, 2019 — We simply have to say this is cool. We say this because folks from the Treasury Department and Stanford have published the first experimental evidence that health insurance prevents premature deaths. In fact, by following the causal chain, we can say that an IRS letter can save lives. Who knew that the IRS was conducting […]

Rollback of Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions Is Dead

November 8, 2018 — It’s been an ugly election season. Many issues divide our government sharply. But on one point, both Democrats and Republicans seem to agree now. They won’t roll back health insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions. It’s a stroke of good news for people living with obesity. Because it used to be that getting affordable […]

Health Insurance: New Rules, Higher Costs, Less Coverage

April 13, 2018 — You might have thought that all the news this week was about Syria and the FBI. You would be wrong. While everyone else was focused on those lovely distractions, CMS was busy issuing new rules for health insurance. The net effect is hard to predict. But broadly speaking, you can expect to see higher costs […]

How Will Health Policy Angst Affect Obesity Care?

November 2, 2017 — Efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare have come and gone this year. They may come again. But for now, seven years after passage of the Affordable Care Act, the direct impact on obesity care has been hard to see. At the ObesityWeek advocacy forum Wednesday, you could hear just about any perspective you wanted. The […]

The Looming Healthcare Drama for People with Obesity

June 17, 2017 — Here it comes. Behind closed doors, a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is taking shape and all we have is speculation about what will be in it. Is this healthcare drama worth watching for people living with obesity? Will the result help or hurt us? What Matters: Pre-Existing Conditions Let’s be frank. The […]

Will Trumpcare Cover People with Obesity and Diabetes?

May 16, 2017 — It’s the key sticking point for repealing the Affordable Care Act. Will people with pre-existing conditions still get affordable health coverage? In a forum Friday at Stanford University, Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, provided an answer. He described pre-existing conditions that Trumpcare should cover and shouldn’t cover. The Jimmy Kimmel Test Mulvaney attempted to answer a simple question. “Do you […]

Health Insurance for Obesity After the ACA

March 8, 2017 — Will health insurance for obesity change under the new Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with the American Health Care Act (AHCA)? The short answer is maybe and maybe not. Some of the Basics The new plan repeals the mandate for everyone to buy insurance or face a penalty. Instead, people will […]

Ten Expectations for 2017 in Obesity, Food, and Health

January 1, 2017 — The new year brings new expectations. Sure, we always have new diet, nutrition, and weight loss fashions. But, in thinking about obesity and health, we can also expect some more substantive changes. Here’s our top ten for 2017. 1. More “Less Added Sugar.” Already, the pressure to avoid sugar was on. Now, new labeling for added sugar will dial […]

27 States Flaunting ACA Ban on Healthcare Discrimination

November 23, 2015 — Five major medical groups have filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, charging 27 states with  healthcare discrimination that violates the Affordable Care Act. They cite denial of access to surgical care for obesity that discriminates against people based on pre-existing conditions, disabilities, and gender. All […]

No More General Exclusions for Obesity?

October 28, 2015 — Here’s a rare bolt of clarity from a government agency. The U.S. Department of Labor has just published a set of FAQs that includes a question about general exclusions for obesity in health plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Are they permissible? The answer: No. Consistent with PHS Act section 2713, its implementing regulations, […]