The ACA is again being put to the test, after a lower court judge ruled the massive health law unconstitutional. The case might yet ricochet back to the Supreme Court ahead of the 2020 election.
Court watchers weren't shocked when Reed O'Connor, a U.S. district judge in Texas, ruled the Affordable Care Act invalid. Critics say he usually sides with Republicans on ideological cases.
In signs the health care market may be maturing, an analysis of insurance filings shows premiums will rise less than 4 percent on average and companies plan to market more policies in more places.
The Trump administration has declined to defend key provisions of the Affordable Care Act in court, saying protections for people with pre-existing conditions should be declared unconstitutional.
Rule changes from the Trump administration offer exemptions for people in areas with only one marketplace plan, as well as for some who oppose abortion and can't find a health plan that excludes it.
The tax reform law passed in December did repeal the Affordable Care Act's penalties for not having comprehensive health insurance. But the penalties are still in effect until 2019.
Republicans tried last summer to expand the use of these tax-advantaged accounts that are linked to high-deductible health plans. But their expansion proposal didn't make it into the tax bill.
A shorter enrollment period and big cuts in the federal budget for outreach are taking a toll, say those helping with health insurance sign-ups. Deadlines for most state exchanges are a little later.
Some knocks on the Affordable Care Act are ideological. Others are misunderstandings. People who make too much to qualify for subsidies to defray their mandated insurance purchases have suffered.
With enrollment funding tight, health plan navigators and assisters are getting creative about getting the word out and signing people up for Affordable Care Act plans.
Republican leaders are working to update their long-promised tax overhaul legislation to satisfy enough senators to allow a vote on the legislation as early as this week.
Republican leaders expressed confidence that the measure could pass the Senate. It is likely to face even fewer hurdles in the House, as the GOP aims to pass a tax bill by Christmas.
Republicans have been toying with repealing the Affordable Care Act insurance mandate in their tax bill. The Congressional Budget Office says that would save money but make coverage much more costly.
Lawmakers looking to stabilize the health insurance exchanges may consider a number of proposals — including pushing young adults off a parent's plan or letting people buy into Medicare and Medicaid.
Montana's three main health insurance firms say the Republican Senate's proposed cuts to Medicaid, and any plan to repeal the individual mandate, could drive up health costs for everyone.
Insurers and politicians struggle constantly to thread the needle between making sure people have good health insurance and figuring out who should pay, especially for those who need a lot of care.
Republicans dislike the health law's requirement to have insurance or pay a fine. But if they want to keep the ban on preexisting conditions, they need to find a way to make customers purchase a plan.
