Tagged: Affordable Care Act

New Hampshire’s insurance department told House and Senate lawmakers Wednesday what a federal Insurance Exchange will look like in New Hampshire.

A group of New Hampshire lawmakers will meet Wednesday to begin discussing how the state should move forward under the nation’s health care law.  One of the big questions for the Joint Health Care Reform Oversight Committee is whether New Hampshire should expand its Medicaid program.

The recent Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act gives states the option to extend Medicaid to more low-income residents. Under the new law, beginning in 2014, an adult who brings home less than $15,000 a year and a family of four with income under about $30,000 will qualify.

The Department of Veteran Affairs expects to spend $57 billion in 2013. A significant part of that budget pays for nursing home care for elderly vets. This month, Washington Monthly magazine is exploring American wealth. Editor John Gravois wrote about the V.A. program that follows the foster care model.

Wednesday, a House vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act has passed 244 to 185.

Both New Hampshire Congressmen voted to repeal the nation’s healthcare law.

Many have called this vote symbolic. Charlie Bass says this new vote was triggered by the Supreme Court decision to uphold the law. But, he says, he considers it a kickoff to congressional races for re-election.

The Supreme Court’s decision on the health care law threw many lawmakers in Washington for a loop.

Exchanges are the marketplaces where consumers will basically window-shop the various health care policies available in different states.

The Federal government granted each state funds to begin studying and implementing these exchanges, but New Hampshire’s Executive Council gave that money back, nearly $1,000,000.

Republicans, including House Speaker Bill O’Brien, say that the exchanges will simply cost too much to run. He points to the experience of other New England states.

This is a closer look at the Supreme Court’s Ruling as it relates to Medicaid in the Granite State. Under the upheld law, an additional 17 million people nationwide are set to become eligible for Medicaid in 2014. That’s a 27 percent increase. The new threshold is $29,000 dollars a year for a family of four.

Several weeks ago, Gov. John Lynch signed a bill that blocked the state from setting up a health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act.

That means, under the act, the federal government will set up an exchange for New Hampshire, to give individuals who were previously unable to buy insurance  access to health care coverage.