�鶹Ů��

The nation's top health official made an appeal Monday morning for the preservation of the Affordable Care Act, insisting that the sprawling health-care law that President-elect Donald Trump is vowing to eliminate is “now woven into the fabric of our nation.” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell delivered the most extensive remarks of any Obama administration official since last week's election about the future of the law, suggesting that large numbers of Americans signing up now for ACA health plans will make it more difficult for Trump and congressional Republicans to take away that insurance or the federal subsidies that help pay for it. (Goldstein, 11/14)

The Department of Health and Human Services is looking past the election to the rest of open enrollment, which will end less than a dozen days after President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated. HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the law is “now woven into the fabric of our Nation” while addressing enrollment advocates at the White House Monday. “I know that last week was a tough one for many of us. But rest assured, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land,” Burwell said. “The American people do not want to go back – they want Republicans and Democrats to come together to make the law better.” (McIntire, 11/14)

The Obama administration is publicly ignoring the outcome of last week’s election as it presses ahead with this year's open enrollment for the president's signature healthcare law. At a White House event on Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell mentioned the election just once in her 20-minute address about ObamaCare signups. “I know that this last week has been tough, but the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land,” Burwell said to a roomful of on-the-ground healthcare advocates. (Ferris, 11/14)

Maryland lawmakers and health officials vowed Monday to fight plans by President-elect Donald Trump to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and said they are moving ahead with enrolling people in health plans. Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and Maryland Health Secretary Van Mitchell were at the University of Maryland, Baltimore on Monday to announce College Enrollment Week, a push to get younger people insured. But talk quickly turned to keeping expansion of health coverage to as many Americans as possible. (McDaniels, 11/14)