Judge deals blow to 'Trumpcare' plans

A federal judge has struck down a rule letting individuals and small businesses pool together to buy health insurance, threatening a program encouraged by the Trump administration that was created as an escape hatch from high Obamacare premiums. The ruling, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge John Bates, a President George W. Bush appointee, came after 11 states and the District of Columbia sued saying that the rules violated Obamacare and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA. Bates agreed, concluding in his opinion that the rule, issued by the Department of Labor, was "clearly an end-run around" Obamacare. He also stated the Trump administration didn't have the authority under ERISA to change the rules.

It was not immediately clear whether the administration's up-and-running alternatives, know as "association health plans," would still be allowed to operate. Bates in his ruling asked the Department of Labor to state whether any part of the rule could still stand. The ruling is the latest blow this week to President Trump's healthcare agenda. A judge struck down Medicaid work rules earlier this week, and many Republicans have said they do not wish to come up with a replacement plan after the administration in a surprise move asked an appeals court to fully invalidate Obamacare.

So far, association health plans have been covering the same benefits that Obamacare plans do, even though they are not obligated to, according to analyses by the industry publication Modern Healthcare and another by AssociationHealthPlans.com. But critics warned that it was too early to conclude these benefits would remain. Unlike Obamacare, the plans are allowed to charge people more based on their health status, and prices could increase for next year. People who have pre-existing conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, can be asked to pay higher premiums that lead them to be priced out of the plans entirely.

Health insurers have been allowed to run the plans since September 2018, and association-created coverage was only allowed beginning in January 2019. New associations that form were supposed to kick off in April. Obamacare had ended the plans to encourage more people to go into the exchanges and also because past plans had become insolvent, leaving people holding the bag for costly medical expenses.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/judge-deals-blow-to-trumpcare-plans

Democrats Make ‘#IStandWithSchiff’ Trend on Twitter

Democrats showed their support for embattled House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Thursday by launching a hashtag, “#IStandWith Schiff,” as he stood by his allegations of Russian collusion. For more than two years, Schiff claimed that he had seen evidence that President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign had colluded with the Russian government. But Special Counsel Robert Mueller could not establish that was true, according to a summary of his report presented to Congress on Sunday by Attorney General William Barr. But Schiff has refused to back off his previous claims.

Republicans on the committee unanimously demanded Schiff’s resignation in a joint letter Thursday: “Your willingness to continue to promote a demonstrably false narrative is alarming. … As such, we have no faith in your ability to discharge your duties in a manner consistent with your Constitutional responsibility and urge your immediate resignation as Chairman of this Committee.” But Schiff was defiant, refusing to resign and listing a series of facts that, in his view, established that collusion had, in fact, occurred.

At a press briefing, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi defended Schiff, saying that Barr had erred by offering his interpretation of Mueller’s report (even though he had quoted Mueller directly) and demanding the full document be released. Later, on Twitter, she tweeted a video of her remarks, with the hashtag “#IStandWithSchiff.” Other Democrats joined in, sending the hashtag to the list of Twitter “trending” topics in the United States. Despite advice from House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) to let the collusion issue go, Democrats are clearly sticking with it.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/03/28/democrats-make-istandwithschiff-trend-on-twitter/

Chicago Seeking $130,000 from Jussie Smollett for Hate Hoax Investigation

CHICAGO (AP) — A city official says Chicago is seeking $130,000 from “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating, which police say was staged. Bill McCaffrey, a spokesman for the city government’s legal department, confirmed the amount Thursday, hours after Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city would try to recoup the money it spent on the investigation.

Cook County prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all of the charges against Smollett, who was accused of lying to police about being the victim of a homophobic and racist attack in downtown Chicago on Jan. 29. Emanuel and the police department blasted the decision to drop the charges, saying they stand by their belief that Smollett hired two friends to help him stage the attack because he was unhappy about his salary and wanted publicity. Smollett has maintained throughout that he is innocent.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/03/28/chicago-seeking-130000-from-jussie-smollett-for-hate-hoax-investigation/