The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider some reinstating preventative care coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act that were struck down by a lower court.

A record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s landmark health legislation, as the program awaits an uncertain future under a Republican-controlled White House and Congress.

Americans can start signing up Friday for health care coverage offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace for 2025.

People with private health insurance would be able to pick up over-the-counter methods like condoms, the “morning after” pill and birth control pills for free under a new rule the White House proposed on Monday.

Fifteen states have sued the Biden administration over a rule that is expected to allow 100,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children to enroll next year in the federal Affordable Care Act’s health insurance.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is ripping into Michigan State University.

Federal law that prohibits insurers from denying healthcare based on preexisting conditions, or kicking dependents off their parent’s coverage until age 26 is now codified separately into Michigan law.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will call on state lawmakers this week to pass legislation proactively protecting key provisions in the Affordable Care Act, including no-cost preventive services, as the nation’s health law continues to face legal challenges in federal court.

The government can keep enforcing “Obamacare” requirements that say health insurance plans must cover preventative care, amid a legal battle over the mandates.

A federal judge’s ruling striking down a key part of the Affordable Care Act has been temporarily put on hold by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.

The government says a record 16.3 million people sought health insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year.

Former President Barack Obama is headed to Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin in the closing days of the 2022 campaign to give a boost to Democrats running for governor, senator and on down the ballot.

More families who are offered expensive health insurance premiums from their employers will get a discount if they sign up instead for coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace this fall.

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that required coverage of an HIV prevention drug under the Affordable Care Act violates a Texas employer’s religious beliefs and undercut the broader system that determines which preventive drugs are covered in the U.S. The ruling was handed down Wednesday by Fort Worth-based U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who ruled in 2018 that the entire ACA is invalid.

A federal judge in Texas ruled that a provision of the Affordable Care Act that manages free coverage of certain drugs that prevent HIV infections violate the religious beliefs of a Christian-owned company.

Former President Barack Obama has returned to the White House — for a few hours, to celebrate the 12th anniversary of his signature health care law.

Former President Barack Obama will be returning to the White House on Tuesday for his first public event there since he left office in 2017.

People looking for health insurance in the grip of the omicron surge have through Saturday to sign up for taxpayer-subsidized private coverage under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.

Patient advocates and some state governments say hospitals must do more to help patients deal with medical bills before the debt winds up in collections.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a third major challenge to “Obamacare," preserving health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

President Joe Biden and progressive Democrats have proposed to lower Medicare’s eligibility age to 60, to help older adults get affordable coverage.

“What we’re going to do this time is let people know exactly what they’ve got,” House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn told The Associated Press in a recent interview. In Clyburn’s home state of South Carolina, that means more than $2 billion for state government coffers to be allocated by state legislators. “That’s where we made the big mistake with” both 2010 relief packages, Clyburn said. Under the plan, Badger will receive a $4,200 direct payment and a $6,600 child tax credit, as well as an increase in food assistance vouchers. Ad“It’s going to help take care of some bills,” Badger said.

I haven’t done any counting yet.”On health care, the numbers suggest that consumers' fears about medical costs could be eased by the new rescue package. States that run their own health insurance markets will offer the same enhanced assistance, although timetables for implementation may vary. Biden has opened up the health insurance markets as part of his coronavirus response. The higher health care subsidies are keyed to the pandemic and expire by the end of 2022. But it represents the biggest expansion of federal help for health insurance since the ACA's enactment.

AdBecause health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the bill for them. And health care benefits are not like stimulus checks that can be blasted out. Her organization advocates on behalf of low-income people and was an early supporter of the health care law. AdThe bill would change the formulas for health insurance tax credits to make them more generous for most people, and also allow a wider number of individuals to qualify. Republicans cite the health insurance provisions as an example of coronavirus overreach by Democrats.

AdBecause health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the bill for them. And health care benefits are not like stimulus checks that can be blasted out. AdThe bill would change the formulas for health insurance tax credits to make them more generous for most people, and also allow a wider number of individuals to qualify. In a politically significant change, the bill would provide health insurance tax credits to people with solid middle-class incomes who don't now qualify for help with their premiums. Republicans cite the health insurance provisions as an example of coronavirus overreach by Democrats.

DETROIT – Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing coverage in the coronavirus pandemic. Read: Biden to reopen ‘Obamacare’ markets for COVID-19 reliefYet there are many questions and also concerns about what coverage will be available and at what cost to the user and taxpayers. The Dearborn-based social services organization works to help people navigate the health care changes coming. This will allow those who have lost their insurance due to the pandemic to sign up for coverage. “For President Biden, this is personal,” reads a statement from a White House spokesperson.

Government figures out Friday, Dec. 18 show sign-ups for Obamacare health insurance plans are trending more than 6% higher amid surging coronavirus cases and deepening economic misery. Numbers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania were not counted in Friday's tally from HealthCare.gov states. President Donald Trump failed to repeal “Obamacare" his first year in office, an early defeat he never forgot. Nonetheless, the Trump administration ignored calls to provide a special sign-up period related to the pandemic, something President-elect Joe Biden has said he will do. “This is the largest increase in HealthCare.gov enrollment since 2016 and it's the only increase during the Trump administration,” said Joshua Peck, who once served as marketing chief for the program.

WASHINGTON – A crush of sign-ups expected Tuesday on the last day of open enrollment for HealthCare.gov could help solidify the standing of “Obamacare” as an improbable survivor in the Donald Trump years. In 36 states that use HealthCare.gov,- Dec. 15 is deadline day for coverage that starts Jan. 1, while another 14 states and Washington, D.C., have later dates. Analysts and advocates who follow the annual insurance sign-ups say interest has gotten stronger with the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation. Medicaid expansion, another component of the health law, covers about 12 million people. Typically people who start the enrollment process before the end of deadline day are given a chance to complete it.

In 36 states that use HealthCare.gov,- Dec. 15 is deadline day for coverage that starts Jan. 1, while another 14 states and Washington, D.C., have later dates. Analysts and advocates who follow the annual insurance sign-ups say interest has gotten stronger with the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation. Medicaid expansion, another component of the health law, covers about 12 million people. Trump administration officials say what they have done is to focus on the smooth operation of the HealthCare.gov website for those who may want the coverage. Typically people who start the enrollment process before the end of deadline day are given a chance to complete it.

Separately, Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden also announced other top members of his health care team, though some posts remain unfilled. But overseeing the coronavirus response will be the most complicated task he has ever contemplated. The core components of HHS are the boots on the ground of the government’s coronavirus response. Early in California’s coronavirus response, Becerra defended broad shutdowns Gov.

About 26 million people were uninsured last year — before the wave of layoffs that followed the virus shutdown this spring. Nonetheless, research from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that about 6 in 10 uninsured people would be eligible for some form of subsidized coverage under the Obama-era law. Open enrollment for subsidized private plans through HealthCare.gov is underway and ends Dec. 15. Additionally, the Trump administration is taking no special action to promote the availability of coverage at a time of greater need for many. About 11.4 million people currently have private coverage under the ACA.

Here’s what’s coming up on Local 4 News at 4:U.S. Supreme Court takes up latest challenge to the Affordable Care ActThe U.S. Supreme Court took up the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday. THe Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

Hong Kong and Singapore say they have agreed to a bilateral air travel bubble, re-establishing travel links as coronavirus infections in both cities decline. -- Maryland will reduce indoor operations for bars and restaurants from 75% to 50% in response to rising coronavirus cases and increased hospitalizations. Maryland also reported 1,338 new coronavirus cases Tuesday — the seventh straight day of at least 1,000 cases. ___WASHINGTON — The U.S. has surpassed 1 million new confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of November. The El Paso County sheriff’s office says two of the employees were hospitalized over the weekend as coronavirus cases surged at the facility.

WASHINGTON – When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare,” arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest. But what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. COVID-19 would become America's newest pre-existing condition, for more than 10 million people who have tested positive so far. Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government's support for health care. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

I think, frankly, that they wanted the court to do that, but that’s not our job,” Roberts said. The Supreme Court could have heard the case before the election, but set arguments for a week after. Without the penalty, the law's mandate to have health insurance is unconstitutional, the GOP-led states argue. However, enrollment in the law’s insurance markets has stayed relatively stable at more than 11 million people, even after the effective date of the penalty’s elimination in 2019. The case could also be rendered irrelevant if the new Congress were to restore a modest penalty for not buying health insurance.

WASHINGTON – When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare” on Tuesday, arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest. But what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. COVID-19 would become America's newest pre-existing condition, for more than 10 million people who have tested positive so far. Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government's support for health care. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

Images from the collection of the Supreme Court of the United States may not be used for any advertising or endorsement purposes, or in any way that might convey a false impression of Supreme Court sponsorship or approval.) WASHINGTON – She didn't have to wear a black robe or even be in Washington, but Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined her new colleagues at the Supreme Court on Monday to hear arguments for the first time. Like her colleagues, Barrett asked questions in both cases. As the junior justice, Barrett asked her questions last. So it’s unclear when Barrett will move in to her offices at the court, taking over the space of her predecessor, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

WASHINGTON – Millions of Americans who have lost health insurance in an economy shaken by the coronavirus can sign up for taxpayer-subsidized coverage starting Sunday. Hard numbers on how virus-related job losses have affected health coverage are not available because the most reliable government surveys will not be out until next year. That's on top of 26 million uninsured last year, before the pandemic, or about 8% of the U.S. population. Some private businesses, such as HealthSherpa.com, have created a niche market helping people enroll in HealthCare.gov plans. But, Dorn said, “a lot of people who need health insurance may not know there this is there chance to sign up."

Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. As the Judiciary panel met, protesters, some shouting “Stop the confirmation!” demonstrated outside the Capitol across the street from the Supreme Court. The protesters drowned out Democratic senators who had called a news conference to decry what they called a “sham” confirmation process. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Trump’s pick for the court is almost certain to be confirmed. “We did it.”Barrett, an appellate court judge from Indiana, appeared for three days before the Judiciary panel last week, batting back Democrats' questions.

DETROIT – Former Vice President Joe Biden stopped in Michigan on Friday and made public remarks on maintaining the Affordable Care Act as well as praising Michigan Gov. Local 4′s Mara MacDonald sat down with Biden for a one-on-one conversation. Both Biden’s and President Donald Trump’s campaigns have been in Michigan this week. The Gary Peters and John James Congressional race will be the focus of a special hour-long Flashpoint this Sunday. You can tune in to Local 4 at 10 a.m. to hear from both candidates.

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett listens during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett (all times local):6:05 p.m.Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing has gaveled to a close for the day, wrapping up three days of testimony. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BARRETT HEARINGS:Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was back on Capitol Hill for the third day of her confirmation hearings. The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett paused for about 40 minutes because of audio difficulties. ___9 a.m.Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is back before the Senate Judiciary Committee to face more questions from senators at her confirmation hearing.

James: John James supports “all” education options, including public, charter and private. James: John James has not held public office during the pandemic. James: John James opposes the Green New Deal. James: John James is pro-life. James: John James supports the Second Amendment.

Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply “sever” the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.

Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply “sever” the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.

In this Oct. 1, 2020, photo, Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, meets with Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., at the Capitol in Washington. Confirmation hearings begin Monday for President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. If confirmed, the 48-year-old appeals court judge would fill the seat of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month. No Supreme Court has ever been confirmed so close to a presidential election. Barrett also is the most openly anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee in decades and her vote could provide a majority to restrict if not overturn abortion rights.

Healthcare remains a top issue beyond the pandemic in 2020, namely the future of the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. "This means that there will be no more protections if they win for people with pre-existing conditions. Government estimates show roughly 25 million would lose coverage and nearly 133 million with pre-existing condition could lose some or all of their coverage. “President Trump and I have a plan to improve health care and to preserve protect pre-existing conditions for every American,” Pence said. According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, the President has never released a plan to replace the ACA or protect those with pre-existing conditions.

Majority oppose overturning Roe v. WadeMichigan voters strongly oppose overturning Roe v. Wade. 54.4% of Michigan voters STRONGLY OPPOSE overturning Roe v. Wade while only 18.5% STRONGLY SUPPORT overturning the decision. Catholic voters oppose overturning Roe v. Wade by a margin of 30.1% support/56.3% oppose. 49.2% of Catholic voters STRONGLY OPPOSE overturning Roe v. Wade. 34.8% of evangelical voters STRONGLY SUPPORT overturning the decision while 37.8% STRONGLY OPPOSE overturning the decision.

Barrett’s confirmation would cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the court, and she has compared her approach to the law generally to that of her mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the dissenters in the gay marriage case. Reversing the court’s decision in the gay marriage case would seem a tall order, but Thomas’ statement underscored liberals’ fears that the court could roll back some of their hardest-fought gains. The justices seemed prepared to uphold Delaware's political party provision, and the argument passed without any comment about the partisan fighting over the Supreme Court’s makeup. The justices will hear a total of 10 arguments this week and next, but the term is so far short on high-profile cases. The justices last heard argument in their courtroom in February and skipped planned arguments in March and April before hearing cases by phone in May.

FILE - In this May 3, 2020, file photo the setting sun shines on the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday, Oct. 5. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday with Republicans on the cusp of realizing a dream 50 years in the making, a solid conservative majority that might roll back abortion rights, expand gun rights and shrink the power of government. Barrett's confirmation would cement a 6-3 conservative majority and diminish Chief Justice John Roberts' ability to moderate the court's decisions. Four years ago, Republicans were content to leave a Supreme Court seat open through the election, even if it meant having an eight-justice court decide any election challenges.

Health care remains a top issue for voters, particularly during the spread of the coronavirus as millions lost their jobs and health insurance over the course of pandemic. According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation roughly 25 million people get their health care through the federal ACA marketplace or the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Here’s one from President Trump about Biden’s plan:“The bigger problem that you have is that you’re going to extinguish 180 million people with their private health care,” Trump said. While estimates differ, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services do estimate that roughly 180 million Americans have private health insurance. Biden’s plan creates a public option for low income Americans but does not get rid of private insurance.

WASHINGTON – About 2.5 million more working-age Americans were uninsured last year, even before the coronavirus pandemic struck, according to a government report issued Wednesday. The increase in the uninsured rate came even as the economy was chugging along in an extended period of low unemployment. Lack of affordable coverage was the top reason given for being uninsured, cited by nearly 3 out of 4 surveyed. In 2018, 26.3 million adults ages 18 to 64 were uninsured. Initial estimates from private experts that suggested more than 25 million people could have become uninsured due to pandemic job losses appear to have been too high.

Barrett tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that the White House initially contacted her Sept. 19, the day after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, creating the court vacancy. Trump made the offer when she visited the White House on Monday, Sept. 21, “and I accepted,” she wrote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was “even more convinced” of Barrett after their brief meeting. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold hearings Oct. 12. At the Capitol, Vice President Mike Pence said Barrett “represents the best of America.” The White House formally submitted the nomination Tuesday.

The court will hear a case challenging the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care law just after the election, adding to the urgency of the issue. Asked about Feinstein's earlier comments, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, another committee member, said “religious faith should not be at issue here.” He then pivoted to health care. On Monday, Harris told voters in North Carolina that without the health care law, birth control coverage could be eliminated and pregnancy could be considered a preexisting condition. In focusing on health care, Democrats would be taking a different posture than in the last Supreme Court confirmation fight, when they argued that then-nominee Brett Kavanaugh was not fit to be a justice. They will also tie the health care issue to the pandemic and to abortion rights, the aides said.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden gives a speech on the Supreme Court at The Queen Theater, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wants voters to see Republicans’ push for a speedy Supreme Court confirmation as an end-run of Congress and the 2010 health care law. “She's gonna be a great justice” who will “rule (based on) the law,” Trump said of Barrett. Justices are scheduled on Nov. 10, a week after Election Day, to hear another challenge of the 2010 health care law. “Prior to going on the bench, she publicly criticized Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion upholding the law,” Biden noted.

Trump spoke at an airport hangar in swing-state North Carolina to a crowd that included white-coated, mask-wearing health care workers. For Trump, health care represents a major piece of unfinished business. Democrats, unable to slow the Republican march to Senate confirmation of a replacement for Ginsburg, are ramping up their election-year health care messaging. The gap narrowed for lowering costs of health care: 48% named Biden, while 42% picked Trump. The scramble to show concrete accomplishments on health care comes as Trump is chafing under criticism that he never delivered a Republican alternative to Obamacare.

A narrow ruling might leave most of the law intact, sparing protections for people with preexisting conditions, Medicaid expansion, health insurance subsidies and other core elements. It's one the few avenues Democrats have to try to block a Supreme Court nominee in the GOP-controlled chamber. In a Kaiser poll earlier this month, 49% of Americans viewed the health law favorably, while 42% did not. The latest case to threaten the health law rests on arcane arguments. Brought by Texas and other conservative-led states, the lawsuit argued that without the tax, the health law's requirement that most Americans carry health insurance was unconstitutional.

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, about the Supreme Court. – Joe Biden on Sunday used the sudden Supreme Court vacancy to reinforce his argument that the upcoming election should be a referendum on President Donald Trump's handling of health care and the coronavirus. Biden kept the focus on health care, which has proven to be a winning issue for Democrats during previous elections and could be even more resonant amid the pandemic. “Millions of Americans are voting because they know their health care hangs in the balance," Biden said during remarks at Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Their refusal to put names to Biden’s potential court pick underscores the political peril that the Supreme Court debate holds for Biden.

DETROIT – If you’ve lost healthcare coverage due to the coronavirus pandemic in Michigan, there are options to find new coverage. Michiganders impacted may have low or no-cost healthcare options available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). “Michiganders who lose employer-based health insurance may have options to continue or replace their coverage,” said DIFS Director Anita G. Fox. Depending on income and their situation, consumers may qualify for cost sharing reductions, premium tax credits, coverage for their children (CHIP), or Medicaid. Consumers should contact DIFS toll free at 877-999-6442 if they need assistance.Act now and applyEnrollment help is available

The 2020 sign-up season for the Affordable Care Act is getting underway with premiums down slightly in many states and more health plan choices for consumers. President Donald Trump doesn't conceal his disdain for "Obamacare" and keeps trying to dismantle the program. For John Gold, a self-employed graphic designer from Maine, health care that's stable, affordable and comprehensive still feels more like a goal than a reality. "It's a great start, but it's not the be-all and end-all of health care," he said. Health care "takes up too much of my budget, and it doesn't need to," explained Gold, who lives near Portland.

The former vice president has spent the past several weeks highlighting his support for the health care law often called "Obamacare." Sanders will deliver a health care speech Wednesday and is already hitting back at Biden. "But I will not be deterred from ending the corporate greed that creates dysfunction in our health care system. "I'd like to get people the option: If you like your health care plan, or your employer-based plan, you can keep it," Biden said. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan."

If the challenge to the Affordable Care Act -- filed by a group of 18 Republican states, led by Texas, and later joined by the Trump administration -- is upheld, it would do what Trump and a GOP-led Congress failed to accomplish in 2017: take down Obamacare. Engelhardt: Courts can't be a 'taxidermist' for every major lawEngelhardt appeared to question why the fate of the Affordable Care Act was being left to judges instead of lawmakers. "There is a political solution here," he said, adding that the courts should not be a "taxidermist" for every big-ticket law Congress passes. But in a surprise move in March, the Justice Department said it now agreed with the December ruling that the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down. Flentje said the administration is "appreciative" that the district judge put his ruling on hold, stressing that if the Affordable Care Act falls, a lot must be sorted out.