Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Can A Strapped IRS Enforce Obamacare Rules?
The White House is gearing up for what鈥檚 likely to be the most headache-inducing tax season yet as the struggling Internal Revenue Service begins enforcing the more than 40 new Affordable Care Act tax provisions. Many are crucial to the success of the health care law. (Ehley, 2/6)
The man who could cripple Obamacare isn鈥檛 shy about telling the world that he thinks the president is an 鈥渋diot,鈥 posting altered images of the First Lady in Middle Eastern clothing and expressing his hatred for the 鈥淒emocraps鈥 who enacted the health care law. David M.King, 64, is the lead plaintiff on the Supreme Court case that challenges the government鈥檚 right to grant tax subsidies to millions of Americans in certain states to make health insurance more affordable. When the case is argued on March 4, King 鈥 friendly, with graying hair and a mustache 鈥 will become the public face of King v. Burwell, the most significant threat to the Affordable Care Act since the 2012 Supreme Court case that put the law鈥檚 individual mandate on the line. (Haberkorn, 2/6)
Immigrants and others trying to prove their citizenship and identities to enroll in health insurance still face some of the problems they had during the last open enrollment, according to those helping them sign up. Most people in the 37 states using the federal exchange can complete a relatively short application, but immigrants have to use the still-complex, longer form and deal with a multi-stage process of proving their status and identities. (O'Donnell, 2/5)
As House Republicans once again voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act this week, there was further evidence the controversial bill is contributing to the good health of some of the nation鈥檚 major health insurers. (Radelat, 2/6)