New Poll Gauges ‘Politically Precarious’ Status Of Health Law
Also in the news, the vice president of a popular restaurant chain discusses how his business might respond to the health law's coverage mandates.
National Journal: Poll: Even Supporters Of Obamacare Are Ambivalent About The Law
Opponents of President Obama's health care law overwhelmingly believe the Affordable Care Act will worsen the quality of their care, and even a plurality of the law's supporters don't think it will improve their health care, though they think it will benefit the poor and uninsured. These findings from this week's United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll underscore why the law has become so politically precarious for the White House (Shepard, 7/25).
Los Angeles Times: White Castle VP Talks Part-Time Workers In Response To Health Care Law
As President Obama's health care law rolls out in the coming years, business owners are figuring out how they will comply with coverage mandates. One popular restaurant chain, White Castle, may in the future hire only part-time workers once the law is fully implemented, according to Vice President Jamie Richardson. Richardson told NPR in an interview that the company is trying to figure out how to keep costs down (Lopez, 7/25).
And on the topic of alternative medicine --
Kaiser Health News: Health Law Boosts Status Of Alternative Medicine -- At Least On Paper
Complementary and alternative medicine -- a term that encompasses meditation, acupuncture, chiropractic care and homeopathic treatment, among other things -- has become increasingly popular. About four in 10 adults (and one in nine children) in the U.S. are using some form of alternative medicine, according to the National Institutes of Health. And with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the field could make even more headway in the mainstream health care system. That is, unless the fine print -- in state legislation and insurance plans -- falls short because of unclear language and insufficient oversight (Rao, 7/26).