Thursday, June 25, 2015

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS NATIONWIDE HEALTH CARE LAW SUBSIDIES


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the nationwide tax subsidies underpinning President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, rejecting a major challenge to the landmark law in a ruling that preserves health insurance for millions of Americans.

The justices said in a 6-3 ruling that the subsidies that 8.7 million people currently receive to make insurance affordable do not depend on where they live, as opponents contended.

The outcome was the second major victory for Obama in politically charged Supreme Court tests of his most significant domestic achievement. And it came the same day the court gave him an unexpected victory by preserving a key tool the administration uses to fight housing bias.

Obama greeted news of the decision by declaring the health care law "is here to stay." He said the law is no longer about politics, but the benefits millions of people are receiving.

Declining to concede, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said Republicans, who have voted more than 50 times to undo the law, will "continue our efforts to repeal the law and replace it with patient-centered solutions that meet the needs of seniors, small business owners, and middle-class families."

At the court, Chief Justice John Roberts again voted with his liberal colleagues in support of the law. Roberts also was the key vote to uphold it in 2012. Justice Anthony Kennedy, a dissenter in 2012, was part of the majority on Thursday.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

STATES COULD POSSIBLY "LEASE" HEALTHCARE.GOV



CHICAGO, IL - June 16, 2015
A hospital group in cash-strapped Illinois says the state might be able to set up a health insurance exchange at a lower cost by "leasing" the federal government's technology, an option that could appeal to as many as 34 states where subsides could be jeopardized by an unfavorable U.S. Supreme Court decision.

President Barack Obama has said there is no backup plan if the Supreme Court strips federal subsidies from the law in Illinois and the 33 other states that haven't created their own exchanges. The administration didn't respond Monday to the AP's requests for comment on the possibility of leasing HealthCare.gov.

"We do believe that the administration is quietly discussing a healthcare.gov lease option with the states and that it will roll out more specific guidelines in the event that the Supreme Court strikes down the subsidies," said Caroline Pearson, who follows the health law for the market analysis firm Avalere Health.

The four-page Illinois memo is the clearest plan yet for how the state could create a state-based exchange quickly should the justices rule that only people living in states with their own exchanges can get federal financial help.

The Supreme Court ruling is expected later this month, and the subsidies could end later in the summer unless Congress acts. Leading congressional Republicans are promising to help consumers who lose subsidies, but it's unclear Congress could pass any fix that Obama would sign.

Monday, June 15, 2015

TYPE 1 DIABETES PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

 
A German study in Diabetes Care revealed that patients with type 1 diabetes who engaged in regular physical activity had better glycemic control and reduced cardiovascular risks, and the authors say patients should be encouraged to exercise. Researchers found inverse correlation between physical activity and HbA1C levels, diabetic ketoacidosis, dyslipidemia, hypertension and body mass index, as well as an inverse association between physical activity and retinopathy, microalbuminuria and severe hypoglycemia with coma. PhysiciansBriefing.com/HealthDayNews

Thursday, June 11, 2015

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