The Affordable Care Act is working to help bring down the cost of prescription drugs for seniors enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and today, we got more good news for our seniors. This afternoon, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare prescription drug plan premiums for 2011 [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter Under the old health care system, many businesses found it difficult, if not impossible to provide health insurance benefits to their workers. Over the past decade the percentage of small firms offering coverage decreased and many businesses have suffered under the weight of high health care costs. The Affordable Care Act helps [...]
Posted by Secretary Gary Locke If you are an employer, you know how difficult it can be to find – and provide– health insurance for your retired employees who are age 55 or older and not yet eligible for Medicare. Some Americans who retire before they are eligible for Medicare see their life savings disappear because [...]
Posted by Don Berwick On August 10th, you may have seen Jenny Backus’ post on HealthCare Notes noting that the third round of donut hole rebate checks went into the mail. Recently, we hit a major milestone: the millionth check was sent out over the weekend. If you haven’t heard about the rebate checks before, they are [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter Throughout the debate on the Affordable Care Act, the Administration was focused on ways to bring down costs and decrease long term deficits – and independent analysts repeatedly validated these efforts as successful. But many critics continued to insist that the bill would somehow bust the budget anyway, despite proof to the contrary. Well, to his [...]
Posted by Commissioner Margaret Hamburg In recent weeks, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis has sickened hundreds of people across the country and has led to a recall of shell eggs. FDA, CDC and state colleagues have worked hard to review reports of illness, to link these illnesses to eggs, and to trace these eggs to the [...]
Posted by Jonathan Blum We’ve heard from seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries that sorting through the over 4,000 prescription drug plan choices, many of which offer similar benefits, can be a confusing and time-consuming process. Experts agree. That’s why seniors on Medicare, health policy researchers supported CMS’ efforts to make the Medicare Prescription Drug program less [...]
Posted by Todd Park HealthCare.gov puts the power of information at your fingertips. Not only can you learn about how the Affordable Care Act affects you, but you can also search for both public and private health coverage options through a new, easy to use health insurance finder tool. Based on your answers to a [...]
Posted by Katelyn Sabochik Yesterday, President Obama joined families from the Columbus area to answer their questions on topics ranging from health care to Wall Street reform and Social Security. The discussion took place in Joe and Rhonda Weithman’s backyard after President Obama spent some time around the Weithman’s kitchen table talking about the challenges [...]
Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius The Affordable Care Act is working to help bring down the cost of prescription drugs for seniors enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and today, we got more good news for our seniors. This afternoon, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare prescription [...]
Posted by Chris Gregoire All Americans should have access to high-quality, affordable health care. We can’t let the rising cost of health care continue to bankrupt our families, businesses and government. We have to take steps to make health care more affordable, and enhance the quality of care our families are receiving. I am pleased to [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter As we know from last week’s Medicare Trustees report, the Affordable Care Act will strengthen Medicare by extending the Trust Fund for 12 years — the largest extension in history — and cut costs for seniors. The new law will also save Medicare $575 billion over the next ten years and provisions [...]
Posted by Arun Chaudhary Mailbag Day! This West Wing Week the administration responds to the letters and emails sent in by you. Find out whether the President gets stamps in his passport, learn about pre-existing conditions and the Affordable Care Act from Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and see who gets to keep [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee The President discusses a new Medicare Trustees report showing Medicare to be on much stronger footing as a result of the reforms in the Affordable Care Act. In addition, seniors are also already getting help with prescription drug costs when they fall into the infamous “donut hole.”
Posted by Nancy-Ann DeParle Today, we got more good news about the Affordable Care Act, the new law that will give seniors better benefits and save Medicare $575 billion over the next ten years. Many savings provisions in the new law kick in immediately, totaling about $8 billion in just the first two years. That’s real [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter A new report, Affordable Care Act Update: Implementing Medicare Costs Savings, released today by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), confirms that the Affordable Care Act is on track to save money and strengthen the Medicare program, all while protecting seniors guaranteed benefits. And the savings and improvements start right away. [...]
Posted by Tina Tchen No matter who you are, the Affordable Care Act will help make your health care better. The reforms in the law will help bring costs down and will improve the quality of care for all Americans. But we know that women in particular suffered under the old health care system and will [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter Since the enactment of health reform legislation in March, several state Attorneys General have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Having failed in the legislative arena, opponents of reform are now turning to the courts in an attempt to overturn the work of the democratically elected branches of [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter The Affordable Care Act will strengthen the health care system for all Americans, but senior citizens in particular stand to benefit from the new law. And the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is getting a little help delivering the good news from a well known TV star: Andy Griffith. Today, [...]
Posted by Nancy-Ann DeParle For too long, too many Americans with pre-existing conditions were left out of the health insurance marketplace. Health insurance companies could charge these Americans more or simply refuse to cover them. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the health care system will no longer leave out the people who need care [...]
Posted by Macon Phillips It’s not every day that the President takes time out of his schedule to record a video about a website. But that’s just what happened with HealthCare.gov, the new consumer-oriented website from the Department of Health and Human Services. In the video, he shows how anyone can learn about new rights and [...]
Posted by Nancy-Ann DeParle Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, the President’s team has worked diligently to implement the new law. As part of this effort, we’ve held countless meetings with individuals and organizations to hear their thoughts and suggestions for how we can best deliver the benefits of reform [...]
Posted by Kori Schulman Let’s Move! and GOOD asked you to create infographics about the childhood obesity epidemic to help raise awareness about the problem and the ways we’re working to address it. There are some great submissions, see a few below and even more over on GOOD.is. Tell us your favorites in the comments [...]
Posted by Melody Barnes New and expecting mothers and fathers across the country will have a helping hand in those first, crucial years of child rearing thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Today, Secretary Sebelius announced $88 million in grants for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. These grants will help new and [...]
Posted by Gayle Smith In light of the International AIDS Society conference being held in Vienna this week, many people have raised questions about the Obama Administration’s commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. First, consider the facts: READ THE REST
Posted by Karen Mills In recent days, some in Massachusetts have examined the impact of the state’s health reform law on small businesses, such as this article from the Boston Globe, with some comparing the Massachusetts law to the Affordable Care Act. While both laws share the goal of increasing health insurance coverage, the Affordable [...]
Thanks for checking out the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, walk step by step with the President as he speaks about the economy in Las Vegas, celebrates 100 years of the Boy Scouts of America, meets with President Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, visits with [...]
Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Earlier today, I joined First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to discuss how the Affordable Care Act will give millions of Americans access to preventive care through their private health insurance. Today, too many Americans today aren’t getting the preventive health care they need. Right now, for example, 59 [...]
Posted by Katelyn Sabochik Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (124MB) | mp3 (12MB) Yesterday, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy – a comprehensive plan for fighting HIV in our country. In his remarks at a reception with HIV/AIDS policy experts and activists, the President acknowledged that as a Nation, we have [...]
Posted by Kori Schulman To launch the new LetsMove.gov, the First Lady answered some of your questions in her first live video chat with AOL Health. AOL called on their readers to submit questions for Mrs. Obama in the days leading up to the chat. In addition to the thousands of questions received in advance, even more [...]
Posted by Jeffrey Crowley Today, I am pleased to announce the release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. The release of the strategy reaffirms President Obama’s commitment to fighting this domestic epidemic. From the time that we first heard about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) thirty years ago through today, HIV has become a [...]
Posted by Kori Schulman Earlier today, the First Lady sent an email announcing the new LetMove.gov and some of its features. To kick things off, Mrs. Obama will be answering your questions about the Let’s Move! initiative in a live video chat tomorrow at 10:00 AM EDT. Watch the live event right here on WhiteHouse.gov/Live and read a message [...]
Posted by Kori Schulman On Tuesday, July 13th, Mrs. Obama is answering your questions in her first-ever web chat, as part of the launch of a new Let’s Move! website. The First Lady will answer your questions on the Let’s Move! initiative to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity during a live event that is moderated by AOL Health. You can participate [...]
Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius If you or a loved one are one of the millions of seniors who fall into the “donut hole” every year, help is on the way thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Most Americans know about the “donut hole” – the coverage gap in Medicare Part D where beneficiaries have to [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter When you are sick and have to go to the hospital, you want to know that you’re getting the highest quality care. And if you’re choosing between hospitals, you should be able to make an informed choice and compare the quality of hospitals in your area. That’s where HealthCare.gov comes in. By visiting [...]
Posted by Stephanie Cutter Today, the Associated Press takes a look at the first stages of the Affordable Care Act and finds that millions will benefit from the new protections in the new law. The story notes: “The first stage of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul is expected to provide coverage to about 1 million uninsured [...]
Posted by Sarah Bernard Do you have questions about the Affordable Care Act, finding options for health insurance coverage, your new consumer rights, or the newly-launched HealthCare.gov website? Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will answer your questions directly during a live event at the White House moderated by WebMD’s Kristy Hammam. Submit your questions now, and vote your [...]
Posted by Macon Phillips HealthCare.gov, the new consumer-oriented portal for health insurance coverage information, went live yesterday. But it’s just getting started. Our complex health care system can be confusing and frustrating – from figuring out what’s the best health insurance to understanding your rights as a consumer under the new Affordable Care Act. That’s why [...]
Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Today, our Administration is launching HealthCare.gov a new consumer website that provides unprecedented transparency into the health care marketplace. Through HealthCare.gov, individuals will have more control over their health care as informed and empowered consumers. READ THE REST
Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Today I continued my series of bipartisan outreach meetings to engage leaders from inside and outside of government as we implement the Affordable Care Act. It’s been just over three months since health insurance reform became law, and already Americans are gaining greater control over their health care. As we work [...]
