Obama Mocks GOP Critics While Marking A Health Law Milestone
President Barack Obama celebrated the fifth anniversary of the health law by chiding its critics and saying they were wrong about their predictions of doom. He also used the occasion to focus on a plan to revamp the way providers and health systems are paid.
The New York Times:
Obama Praises Affordable Care Act On Its 5th Birthday
President Obama marked the fifth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act by mocking the law’s longtime critics as wrong about their predictions that its passage would doom America’s health care system. In an event at the White House on Wednesday, Mr. Obama said the law had decreased the ranks of the uninsured by a third, having enabled 16 million people to sign up for health coverage through the government marketplaces. (Shear, 3/25)
The Washington Post:
Obama Mocks GOP On Fifth Anniversary Of Affordable Care Act
President Obama delivered a staunch defense of the Affordable Care Act on the week of its fifth anniversary Wednesday as he continues his bid to frame the health care law as a success in the face of legal and political challenges from Republicans. ... More than 16 million people who were previously uninsured now have medical coverage under the law, which is generally viewed as the president's signature legislative achievement. But the law, passed by Congress in 2010, is facing a Supreme Court ruling this spring that could wipe out subsidies for millions of them. The administration has not announced a backup if the court rules portions of the law unconstitutional. (Nakamura, 3/25)
McClatchy:
Obama: Health Care Law Working Better Than I Expected
President Barack Obama took a victory lap Wednesday, celebrating the fifth anniversary of his signature health care law and proclaiming that it’s succeeded despite persistent Republican efforts to “repeal, undermine, defund and defame” the law. (Clark, 3/25)
USA Today:
Obama Touts, GOP Attacks 5-Year-Old Health Care Law
President Obama's health care law is 5 years old, and so is the political debate surrounding it. Obama again praised the law Wednesday for insuring more people, reducing costs and saving lives, while Republicans continued to cite rising insurance prices and canceled policies for many. "In a lot of ways, it's working better than many of us, including me, anticipated," Obama said during an event at the White House. (Jackson, 3/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
Obama Promotes Health-Care Payments Based On Outcome, Not Volume
Paying doctors, hospitals and other providers for improved care rather than treatment volume will benefit patients and lower U.S. health-care spending, President Barack Obama said Wednesday. As the Affordable Care Act reaches milestones in expanding coverage—nearly 11.7 million people had signed up through late February—the Obama administration is turning its focus to revamping the way providers and health systems are paid. (Armour, 3/25)
Meanwhile, in other health law news, a spokesman for Sen. Ted Cruz, who is a noted Obamacare critic, said he hasn’t made a final decision on whether he will sign up for Obamacare -
Politico:
Ted Cruz ‘Still Weighing Options’ On Obamacare
Sen. Ted Cruz hasn’t made a final decision on whether he will sign up for Obamacare but will make up his mind “in the coming days,” a spokesman said Wednesday. Rick Tyler, national spokesman for the Texas Republican’s newly-launched presidential campaign, also defended Cruz against charges of hypocrisy for suggesting that he might enroll in Affordable Care Act health exchanges. (Topaz, 3/25)
