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Sam Baker, The Hill
Tue, 2013-04-30

"President Obama said Tuesday that his healthcare law is bound to hit some snags as it comes fully into place over the next six months. 'Even if we do everything perfectly, there will still be glitches and bumps … That's pretty much true of every government program that's ever been set up,' Obama said at a news conference. Asked about Democratic concerns that the implementation could be a 'huge train wreck,' Obama said the law will be fully implemented on time."

Pete Kasperowicz, The Hill
Mon, 2013-04-29

"House Republicans and Democrats have joined together to re-introduce a bill that would expand the religious conscience exemptions under ObamaCare. Under the Equitable Access to Care and Health (EACH) Act, individuals would have the option of being exempted from the Affordable Healthcare Act's mandate to buy health insurance. People could avoid the mandate by filing an affidavit as part of their tax return saying their religious beliefs keep them from buying insurance that meets federal standards."

Robert Pear, The New York Times
Fri, 2013-04-26

"Democratic senators, at a caucus meeting with White House officials, expressed concerns on Thursday about how the Obama administration was carrying out the health care law they adopted three years ago. Democrats in both houses of Congress said some members of their party were getting nervous that they could pay a political price if the rollout of the law was messy or if premiums went up significantly."

Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
Fri, 2013-04-26

"Cary Pigman, a Republican lawmaker in the state House of Representatives, sees uninsured patients every shift as an emergency room doctor in a rural part of central Florida, where nearly 30 percent of residents lack coverage. With a week remaining in Florida’s legislative session, Dr. Pigman might be expected to be sympathetic to hospitals and other groups urging the Republican-dominated legislature to accept $50 billion in federal money over a decade to extend coverage to 1 million poor Floridians. But that’s not the case."

Cheryl Clark, HealthLeaders Media
Fri, 2013-04-26

"Some 500 healthcare provider groups and companies, patient advocates and employers on Thursday signed a letter to Congress urging repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board in fear that not only will its cost-cutting powers hurt patients' access to care, but that it will also raise costs for employers, and actually raise costs in the long run."

David Nather, Politico
Fri, 2013-04-26

"Obamacare fires are flaring up all over — in Hill hearings, in scary headlines about big rate hikes and in closed-door meetings of nervous Democrats. The White House response: We’ll get to that. President Barack Obama’s messaging gurus and their allies say they will step on the gas before enrollment begins this fall, but the effort, they concede, is not in full swing."

Christine Vestal, Stateline
Thu, 2013-04-25

"The lack of competition in nearly a dozen states could present problems when the insurance exchanges that are part of the Affordable Care Act launch in October. The exchanges are supposed to give Americans who do not get health insurance from their employers the opportunity to choose from an array of private insurance plans. The idea is to generate competition between insurers that will lead to lower premiums."

Sam Baker, The Hill
Wed, 2013-04-24

"The office implementing most of President Obama's healthcare law is not furloughing its workers as a result of sequestration, its director said Wednesday. Gary Cohen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, said Wednesday that his office has not cut its workers' hours and pay as a result of the automatic budget cuts that went into effect in March."

John Bresnahan & Jake Sherman, Politico
Wed, 2013-04-24

"Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said."

Sam Baker, The Hill
Wed, 2013-04-17

"Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Wednesday he fears a 'train wreck' as the Obama administration implements its signature healthcare law. Baucus, the chairman of the powerful Finance Committee and a key architect of the healthcare law, said he fears people do not understand how the law will work."

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