Affordable Care Act

'Staggering' rate hike under Obamacare no longer likely

Martha Kang and Keith Seinfeld — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:28:13 +0000

How health insurance eats your paycheck

Keith Seinfeld — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:06:08 +0000

Health care is probably taking a bigger chunk out of your paycheck than it was a decade ago. The rising cost of insurance and deductibles has been dramatic whether you work for a small business or a large one.

Photo: President Obama after hearing health care news

Eyder Peralta — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:15:09 +0000

The White House has released a picture of President Obama on the phone with Solicitor General Donald Verrilli in the Oval Office after hearing the health care news. Verrilli was the one who argued the case in front of the Supreme Court.

Here's the picture:

Obama looks rather relaxed.

Court's health ruling excites GOP, but will voters remember in November?

Frank James — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:14:47 +0000

In the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, one of the burning questions is how will the decision play out politically?

President Obama even acknowledged the inevitability of the political maneuvering and handicapping in his comments from the White House soon after the high court delivered its decision.

Supreme Court upholds health care law; Washington leaders look smart; state programs under way

Keith Seinfeld and The Associated Press — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:21:55 +0000

Washington state is on a fast-track to providing discounted insurance for thousands of uninsured people by January 2014.

The Supreme Court has upheld the individual insurance requirement at the heart of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

The court on Thursday handed Obama a campaign-season victory in rejecting arguments that Congress went too far in requiring most Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty.

The court found problems with the law's expansion of Medicaid. But even there, it said the expansion could proceed as long as the federal government does not threaten to withhold the entire Medicaid allotment to states if they don't take part in the extension.

The court's four liberal justices, Stephen Bryer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, joined Roberts in the outcome.

“We are in a very good position, because we have already received the federal funds to not only build our health-care exchange, or marketplace, but to operate it for the first year,” says State Sen. Karen Keiser (D), Kent, who chairs a key senate health committee.

Survey: Will politics tip the scale in high court's healthcare ruling?

Jake Ellison — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 19:18:12 +0000

As potentially millions of people collectively held their breath, again, Monday morning waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the fate of Obama’s health care reform, one of the many questions lingering in the air is will the justices keep their politics out of the decision? (Update: The court did not issue its ruling Monday and will likely do so on Thursday.)

And, we must also wonder: Will Americans keep their politics out of their assessments of whatever the court decides, when it does? (Warning, this is a “Take our survey” story … see below.)

Washington may attempt an individual mandate, if Supreme Court cuts it

Keith Seinfeld — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:43:30 +0000

A Supreme Court ruling on President Obama’s health care law could force Washington state lawmakers to shift gears. They want to prevent a repeat of the 1990's, when the insurance market "went over a cliff," says the state Insurance Commissioner.

That could force them to require state residents to have health insurance. But, their first choice to prevent a health-care "disaster," say Democrats, is to rely on federal subsidies to keep insurance affordable.

McKenna opposes health care law despite agreeing with parts

Keith Seinfeld — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:57:55 +0000

The U.S. Supreme Court’s health-care hearings have put a spotlight on Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna and his decision to join 25 other states in suing the Obama Administration.

McKenna, a Republican, has said repeatedly for the last two years that he’s not necessarily against all of the Affordable Care Act. KPLU talked to McKenna about how he can support much of the law, but still try to overturn it.

Port Angeles mystery man becomes lead plaintiff against Obama's health law

Keith Seinfeld — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:30:05 +0000

A central character in what could be the most important U.S. Supreme Court case of this generation happens to live in Port Angeles, Wash. – and he’s not talking to reporters.

Kaj Ahlburg, commonly referred to as “a retired investment banker,” is the lead plaintiff suing the Obama Administration over the 2010 health care law called the Affordable Care Act. While he has been mum about his case in the High Court, he's had plenty to say in his home community.

Health clinics expanding, but also cutting services

Keith Seinfeld — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 05:26:23 +0000

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-966069.mp3

Health clinics that cater to low-income people have been expanding.