Politics. On Point.

President Obama's White House homecoming had comedy, acquaintances, and talk of  The Affordable Care Act (ACA) which, twelve years ago, his administration passed with enough bipartisan support to become the 'most consequential' U.S. healthcare legislation in generations. ADVERTISEMENT CMB BUSINESS SOLUTIONS   His return (aside from jokingly calling President Biden, Vice President) had more to do with appealing to Congress to lower health insurance premiums and extend the ACA. "And today, today, the Biden-Harris administration is going even further by moving to fix a glitch in the regulations that will lower premiums for nearly 1 million people who need it and allow 200,000 more uninsured Americans get access to coverage", said Obama. Yet,  there are states that refuse to extend ACA-supported Medicare benefits and subsidies.  SEE: STATES WITH EXPANSION ACTIVITY Vice President Kamala Harris, women's history maker in her own right, appealed to Congress in this wa...

The wheels that grind this country's racist ways have to come to an end.   Over the last days and weeks America has started to see the country move in that direction.   From discussions over whether or not the Confederate flag that flies at the state capital in South Carolina is a sign of racial hatred, prompting its removal, to fighting disparities in housing , healthcare , and same-sex marriage . Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that disparate-impact standard has worked to combat systemic discrimination in the case of  Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project Inc .  (See Supreme Court Syllabus here ). America, the equal?  A flag symbolizing equality flies in front of the Supreme Court. Under the Fair Housing Authority, "it is unlawful to refuse to sell, rent or otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling to a person because of race, or other protected characteristic." Attorney General Loretta Lynch we...

With less than four weeks to go before the March 31, 2014 deadline to sign up for healthcare, the Obama Administration is working to ensure that Americans who need heath care, do so before then. A reported number of 4 million people have enrolled already, per the White House, and continued efforts to ensure that young people as well, continue to enroll. From the White House: Building on efforts over the past several months to encourage Americans to check out HealthCare.gov , where they can find quality health coverage, and likely get financial assistance to make monthly premiums even more affordable, this week, the President, First Lady, and Vice President will all publicly encourage the uninsured to enroll in health coverage and Senior Administration Officials will continue to urge Americans to enroll through radio interviews and events across the country.   On Thursday, March 6 , President Obama will participate in a historic Town Hall on Latinos and the Affordabl...

From White House Press Release   U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius joined the NAACP on Wednesday in an online video conversation to discuss the benefits of enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace. During the Google+ Hangout , moderated by NAACP Senior Director of Health Programs Shavon Arline-Bradley, Secretary Sebelius addressed questions related to important Affordable Care Act deadlines, out-of-pocket expenses and health coverage for college students.   Secretary Sebelius also discussed the millions of people who could gain affordable coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. She highlighted the protections for consumers, including Insurance companies that can no longer charge women more or deny anyone coverage because of pre-existing health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.   “Those days are over. It’s a brand new day. And we’re in the middle of an open enrollment period right now so people ...

As issues surrounding the Affordable Care Act continue, and Republicans vow to block, dismantle, or repeal the law, the White House has released a new, national and state report showing the costs associated with repealing the health care law.   According to the White House, the benefits of the health care law which the claim are lower costs, new protections, and expanded access to quality, affordable care – are real, and the repeal plan pushed by some Republicans in Congress would undermine or eliminate the benefits that millions of middle-class Americans now rely on.   THIS IS THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Repeal Would Raise Costs, Strip Protections from Families Across America   Helping ordinary Americans and businesses take advantage of the benefits of the health care law is a top priority for the President and Democrats in Congress. The Affordable Care Act does more than just give millions of uninsured Americans access to health insurance. It helps Americans ...

President Obama announced today that Americans who lost their health care plan as a result of the Affordable Care Act  can regain their plans, at least for a year. Speaking today in the James Brady briefing room, the president explained this new initiative in the wake of the failed HealthCare.gov web site and looming concerns over mandated ACA policy concerns. Said the president, "Insurers can extend current plans that otherwise would be canceled into 2014 and Americans whose plans have been canceled can choose to re-enroll in the same kind of plan."  Adding, "This fix won't solve every problem for every person, but it's going to help a lot of people. Doing more would require work with Congress." Uh, oh.  The 'C' word. Working with Congress is like trying to get a six year-old to keep their shoes tied. We know that Congress has been the bane of the Affordable Care Act from the beginning.  The president's apology for the website'...

More woes for the Obama administration's roll out of HealthCare.gov .    During the president's weekly address he urged Americans to call a toll-free number to get help enrolling in a health care plan as the website continues to be 'improved'. Said the president, "But even as we improve the website, remember that the website isn’t the only way to apply for coverage under these new plans.  We’ve updated HealthCare.gov to offer more information about enrolling over the phone, by mail, or in person with a specially-trained navigator who can help answer your questions.  Just call 1-800-318-2596 or visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov .       No sooner than the president gives out the 800 number for Americans to speak to one of the 'specially-trained navigators', one of them  gets fired, perhaps loosing her own healthcare benefits. Her malfeasance?  Talking to talk show host Sean Hannity. Hannity called the 800 number with his...