Tom Howell Jr.

CVS’ tobacco decision is paying off in more ways than one

CVS pharmacy's decision last year to pull tobacco from its 7,800 stores is paying off, business-wise, and now it's earned the chain's CEO a prime seat at Tuesday's State of the Union Address.

January 19, 2015

Obamacare penalty may come as shock at tax time

Those Americans who didn't get health insurance last year could be in for a rude awakening when the IRS asks them to fork over their Obamacare penalty — and it could be a lot more than the $95 many of them may be expecting.

January 18, 2015

Marilyn Tavenner, Medicare chief, steps down; took part health care rollout

Marilyn Tavenner, a key administration official who oversaw the wobbly rollout of Obamacare, announced Friday she will step down at the end of February.

January 16, 2015

Hobby Lobby ruling on birth control doesn’t apply to religious groups, feds say

The Obama administration said Thursday that faith-based nonprofits should comply with Obamacare's birth control mandate because they enjoy much greater leeway than the corporations that sued and won before the Supreme Court last year.

January 15, 2015

CDC: Flu vaccine is only 23 percent effective this season

This season's flu vaccine is effective against the virus only 23 percent of the time, a relatively low level of protection compared to years when the flu shot was better matched to circulating strains, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

January 15, 2015

Sylvia Mathews Burwell to GOP-led Congress: Get over Obamacare, focus on common ground

President Obama's top health official said Thursday that millions of Americans now rely on Obamacare and it is time for Congress to move beyond attempts to dismantle the 2010 law.

January 15, 2015

HHS makes last-minute Obamacare pitch to Hispanics

The administration urged Latinos Wednesday to beat the clock and get covered on Obamacare's exchanges within the next 30 days, citing health disparities among the fast-growing constituency and fixes to its Spanish-language website after a rocky first year.

January 14, 2015

Enrollment on federal Obamacare exchange reaches 6.8 million

Obamacare enrollment on the federal exchange has reached nearly 6.8 million, according to administration data released Wednesday that has Florida leading the way with about 1.2 million signups.

January 14, 2015

Bipartisan Senate group files bill to repeal Obamacare tax on medical devices

A bipartisan group of 10 senators introduced legislation to repeal Obamacare's tax on medical devices, a long-expected move from the Republican-controlled Congress because Democrats in certain states want to protect companies back home.

January 13, 2015

Volunteer firefighter Obamacare mandate exempt under House-passed bill

The House voted Monday night to exempt volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel from Obamacare's insurance mandate on employers, a follow-up to a similar bill for veterans that passed unanimously last week.

January 12, 2015

Anti-torture protesters interrupt Senate, are detained in handcuffs

Capitol Police detained a horde of anti-torture protesters who stood up and yelled from atop the Senate chamber during afternoon business Monday.

January 12, 2015

Obama administration begins to issue vital Obamacare forms for tax filers

The Obama administration is sending out tax forms that Obamacare customers need to have in hand before they file their returns.

January 12, 2015

Tom Price: Supreme Court could unravel Obamacare ‘pretty darn quickly’

A Supreme Court case that could cut off Obamacare's subsidies to 34 states presents a "great opportunity" for Republicans to unravel the contentious overhaul, Rep. Tom Price said Monday.

January 12, 2015

House passes 40-hour workweek for Obamacare; Dems buck Obama veto threat

Congress took its first swipes at Obamacare on Thursday with the House approving a bill to cancel the law's 30-hour workweek provision, though only a dozen Democrats bucked President Obama on the vote.

January 8, 2015

Senators slam White House threat to veto $53B Obamacare hours fix

Congressional lawmakers, including Democrats, rebuked the White House on Wednesday for refusing to allow tweaks to Obamacare, saying President Obama is reneging on his promise to work to fix problems in the law.

January 7, 2015

HHS: Obamacare sign-ups hit 6.6 million

Nearly 6.6 million people selected health plans on the federal Obamacare exchange between Nov. 15 and Jan. 2, the Obama administration said Wednesday in its latest "snapshot" of activity in the law's second go-around.

January 7, 2015

Republicans take aim at Obamacare 30-hour workweek

Republicans took control of Congress on Tuesday promising to whittle down Obamacare but still struggling to figure out how far to go — and whether any of their efforts can succeed with President Obama still in the White House.

January 6, 2015

Obamacare vote to test Democrats’ resolve under Republican majority

Republicans took control of Congress on Tuesday promising to whittle down Obamacare but still struggling to figure out how far to go — and whether any of their efforts can succeed with President Obama still in the White House.

January 5, 2015

Ebola screening: U.S. takes Mali off list

Travelers from Mali will no longer be singled out for enhanced Ebola-virus screening at U.S. airports, a pair of government agencies said Monday in a sign the government is willing to scale down its precautions once a country eradicates the disease from within its borders.

January 5, 2015

Obamacare repeal: Republicans eye ‘reconciliation’ route

With Senate Democrats losing their majority but still able to muster enough troops to mount successful filibusters, Republicans are eyeing another tactic in their uphill fight to dismantle Obamacare.

January 1, 2015