Showing posts with label Elise Viebeck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elise Viebeck. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

About time

October 21, 2014 Ebola , Elise Viebeck 0 Comments
Ebola Travel Restrictions Imposed

By Elise Viebeck, Oct. 21, 2014, Thehill.com

All travelers from countries affected by the Ebola epidemic will now travel through one of five major U.S. airports, officials announced Tuesday.

Under pressure from lawmakers, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is redirecting flights nationwide in an attempt to prevent more people from bringing Ebola across the border.

The administration previously instituted special Ebola screenings at Washington Dulles International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Now, people arriving from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will be required to travel through one of those ports of entry to ensure they undergo an interview and a temperature check.

The White House said the move would help "ensure the safety and security of the American public." Press secretary Josh Earnest said the administration was "pleased" the new restrictions would take effect this week.

"This is relatively creative policymaking," Earnest said.

Read the full story:  www.thehill.com

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Monday, July 14, 2014

ObamaCare’s Next Court Threat --A most SERIOUS threat to OCare

July 14, 2014 Elise Viebeck , Halbig v. Burwell 0 Comments
By Elise Viebeck, Jul. 13, 2014, Thehill.com

A federal appeals court is poised to rule in a case that could blow a gaping hole in ObamaCare's scheme for providing healthcare coverage.

The plaintiffs in Halbig v. Burwell argue that the healthcare law does not authorize the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to offer premium subsidies on the federal exchanges.

It's an issue that strikes at the heart of the Affordable Care Act's insurance benefits and could potentially end financial help for nearly 5 million enrollees.

That is, if the plaintiffs succeed. Legal experts have generally looked askance at the lawsuit, which has a losing record in federal court so far.

But some believe that a looming decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit could break that trend. A ruling could come out on Tuesday.

Either way, it's a case that could wind up at the Supreme Court.

"The IRS has arrogated for itself the power to rewrite a federal statute, triggering federal appropriations and financial penalties beyond those authorized by the legislature,” wrote Jonathan H. Adler and Michael F. Cannon in an amicus brief to the D.C. appeals court in support of the plaintiffs.

“Such 'administrative hubris' cannot stand," they said.

Adler and Cannon, from Case Western Reserve University and the Cato Institute, crafted the legal theory behind the case.

The lawsuit's critics, though, say plaintiffs are missing the forest for the trees.

"Courts do not read statutes by cherry-picking single phrases to defeat the entire purpose of laws," wrote Washington and Lee University Law School Professor Timothy Jost in the Washington Post.

"If one views the totality of the [law] ... it's clear that tax credits are available in the federal exchange."

Court watchers expect Judge Thomas Griffith to be the swing vote in the case.

Read the full story:  www.thehill.com

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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Hill: "O-Care Premiums To Skyrocket"

March 19, 2014 Elise Viebeck , GOP 0 Comments
By Elise Viebeck, The Hill
Health industry officials say ObamaCare-related premiums will double in some parts of the country, countering claims recently made by the administration.
The expected rate hikes will be announced in the coming months amid an intense election year, when control of the Senate is up for grabs. The sticker shock would likely bolster the GOP’s prospects in November and hamper ObamaCare insurance enrollment efforts in 2015.
The industry complaints come less than a week after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sought to downplay concerns about rising premiums in the healthcare sector. She told lawmakers rates would increase in 2015 but grow more slowly than in the past. 

“The increases are far less significant than what they were prior to the Affordable Care Act,” the secretary said in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee.

Her comment baffled insurance officials, who said it runs counter to the industry’s consensus about next year. 

“It’s pretty shortsighted because I think everybody knows that the way the exchange has rolled out … is going to lead to higher costs,” said one senior insurance executive who requested anonymity.
The insurance official, who hails from a populous swing state, said his company expects to triple its rates next year on the ObamaCare exchange. 
The hikes are expected to vary substantially by region, state and carrier. 
Read the full story:  www.thehill.com 
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