Sebelius Answers Healthcare Questions Video

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Austan Goolsbee and Deputy National Security advisor Denis McDonough answered questions today:

Obama's Schedule Jan. 27, 2011

I've added times when Obama's cabinet members and staffers answer questions.
All times are eastern:

9:45 AM
Obama and Biden receive the presidential daily briefing.

10:15 AM
Obama and Biden meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

11:00 AM
Obama meets with his national security team for his monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan; Biden, Secretary Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder will be among the attendees.

11:30 AM
Open for Questions: the State of the Union and the Economy with Austan Goolsbee. Watch

12:45 PM
Obama and Biden meet for lunch.

1:00 PM
Open for Questions: the State of the Union and Foreign Policy with Denis McDonough. Watch

2:30 PM
Obama participates in a YouTube interview with Steve Grove. Watch

3:15 PM
Open for Questions: the State of the Union and Education with Secretary Arne Duncan. Watch

4:30 PM
Open for Questions: the State of the Union and Health Care with Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Watch

5:00 PM
Biden attends a reception for the Democratic National Committee.

Healthcare White House Whiteboard with Kathleen Sebelius

White House Forum on Environmental Justice Video

Eric Holder, Kathleen Sebelius and Janet Napolitano are a few who spoke at the forum on environmental justice:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Here is the question and answer period:

Holder and Sebelius on Healthcare Lawsuits

This was an op-ed that appeared in the Washington Post:

Health reform will survive its legal fight

By Eric H. Holder Jr. and Kathleen Sebelius
Tuesday, December 14, 2010;

In March, New Hampshire preschool teacher Gail O'Brien, who was unable to obtain health insurance through her employer, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma. Her subsequent applications for health insurance were rejected because of her condition. With each round of chemotherapy costing $16,000, she delayed treatment because she knew her savings wouldn't last.

Then President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to this law, O'Brien is getting treatment through a temporary program that provides affordable coverage to people who've been shut out of the insurance market because of a preexisting condition. Even better, she knows that in 2014 insurers will be banned from discriminating against her or any American with preexisting conditions.

That's what makes the recent lawsuits challenging the Affordable Care Act so troubling. Roughly 20 cases question the new law's individual responsibility provision, which says that Americans who can afford to must maintain basic health coverage.

Federal courts in Michigan and Virginia have upheld the law as constitutional, but Monday, a federal court in Virginia reached the opposite result. These and other cases will continue through our courts as opponents try to block the law. But these attacks are wrong on the law, and if allowed to succeed, they would have devastating consequences for everyone with health insurance.


The majority of Americans who have health insurance pay a higher price because of our broken system. Every insured family pays an average of $1,000 more a year in premiums to cover the care of those who have no insurance.

Everyone wants health care to be affordable and available when they need it. But we have to stop imposing extra costs on people who carry insurance, and that means everyone who can afford coverage needs to carry minimum health coverage starting in 2014.

If we want to prevent insurers from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions, it's essential that everyone have coverage. Imagine what would happen if everyone waited to buy car insurance until after they got in an accident. Premiums would skyrocket, coverage would be unaffordable, and responsible drivers would be priced out of the market.

The same is true for health insurance. Without an individual responsibility provision, controlling costs and ending discrimination against people with preexisting conditions doesn't work.

The legal arguments made against the law gloss over this problem even as opponents have sought to invent new constitutional theories and dig up old ones that were rejected 80 years ago.

Opponents claim the individual responsibility provision is unlawful because it "regulates inactivity." But none of us is a bystander when it comes to health care. All of us need health care eventually. Do we pay in advance, by getting insurance, or do we try to pay later, when we need medical care?

The individual responsibility provision says that as participants in the health-care market, Americans should pay for insurance if they can afford it. That's important because when people who don't have insurance show up at emergency rooms, we don't deny them care. The costs of this uncompensated care - $43 billion in 2008 - are then passed on to doctors, hospitals, small businesses and Americans who have insurance.

As two federal courts have already held, this unfair cost-shifting harms the marketplace. For decades, Supreme Court decisions have made clear that the Constitution allows Congress to adopt rules to deal with such harmful economic effects, which is what the law does - it regulates how we pay for health care by ensuring that those who have insurance don't continue to pay for those who don't. Because of the long-held legal precedent of upholding such provisions, even President Ronald Reagan's solicitor general, Charles Fried, called legal objections to the law "far-fetched."

As these lawsuits continue, Americans should be clear about what the opponents of reform are asking the courts to do. Striking down the individual responsibility provision means slamming the door on millions of Americans like Gail O'Brien, who've been locked out of our health insurance markets, and shifting more costs onto families who've acted responsibly.

It's not surprising that opponents, having lost in Congress, have taken to the courts. We saw similar challenges to laws that created Social Security and established new civil rights protections. Those challenges ultimately failed, and so will this one.

Rather than fighting to undo the progress we've made, and returning to the days when one out of seven Americans was denied insurance due to their medical histories, supporters of repeal should work with us to implement this law effectively. The initial decisions about the Affordable Care Act will be reviewed on appeal. We are confident that the law will ultimately be upheld.

Eric H. Holder Jr. is the attorney general of the United States. Kathleen Sebelius is secretary of health and human services.

Clinton and Sebelius Apologize for Horrible Health Experiments on People in 1940s

In the 1940s, people--vulnerable people--in Guatemala were injected with sexually transmitted diseases without their consent by U.S. government. Some were set loose to spread the disease.

Following is a joint statement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius on the U.S. Public Health Service Sexually Transmitted Disease Inoculation Study of 1946-1948:

The sexually transmitted disease inoculation study conducted from 1946-1948 in Guatemala was clearly unethical. Although these events occurred more than 64 years ago, we are outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the guise of public health. We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologize to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices. The conduct exhibited during the study does not represent the values of the United States, or our commitment to human dignity and great respect for the people of Guatemala. The study is a sad reminder that adequate human subject safeguards did not exist a half-century ago.

Today, the regulations that govern U.S.-funded human medical research prohibit these kinds of appalling violations. The United States is unwavering in our commitment to ensure that all human medical studies conducted today meet exacting U.S. and international legal and ethical standards. In the spirit of this commitment to ethical research, we are launching a thorough investigation into the specifics of this case from 1946. In addition, through the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues we are also convening a body of international experts to review and report on the most effective methods to ensure that all human medical research conducted around the globe today meets rigorous ethical standards.

The people of Guatemala are our close friends and neighbors in the Americas. Our countries partner together on a range of issues, and our people are bound together by shared values, commerce, and by the many Guatemalan Americans who enrich our country. As we move forward to better understand this appalling event, we reaffirm the importance of our relationship with Guatemala, and our respect for the Guatemalan people, as well as our commitment to the highest standards of ethics in medical research.

Biden and Sebelius on Healthcare Benefits That Kicked in Today

Republicans tried to drown out new healthcare benefits that kicked in today with their lame "pledge," which is just rehashed republicanism. There are no specifics on what they will cut, aside from rich people's taxes.

The Kaiser Foundation has an awesome timeline of healthcare benefits by year.

Healthcare explained in animated form:

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden Discuss Healthcare

Obama Speaks on Healthcare Implementation June 22 Video

It's been 90 days since Obama signed health reform into law. Here is a fact sheet.

New Rules Prevent Employers From Dropping Health Insurance

In case you missed it, one of the Bush daughters, Barbara Bush, says healthcare is a right. She's president of Global Health Corps. The new rules are intended to allow people to keep the health plans that they have.

The White House on Monday outlined broad new rules designed to prevent employers from dropping health insurance benefits for their workers or shifting huge new costs onto them.

The regulations empower the administration to revoke the so-called grandfather status of businesses that shift “significant” new burdens onto employees — a considerable penalty that would subject those plans to all the consumer protections in the Democrats’ new healthcare reform law. The Hill

From the White House:

Here’s how the new rule will work:

Starting with health plan or policy years beginning on or after September 23, Americans with private health insurance plans will get some new consumer protections. For example, insurance companies will be prohibited from putting lifetime limits on your coverage. And they’ll no longer be able to cancel your insurance when you get sick just by finding an error in your paperwork.
Health coverage that was in effect when the Affordable Care Act was enacted will be exempt from some provisions in the Act if they remain “grandfathered” under a provision in the law. Under the rule issued today, employers or issuers offering such coverage will have the flexibility of making reasonable changes without losing their “grandfathered” status. For example, employers will be able to make some changes to the benefits their plans offer, raise premiums or change employee cost-sharing to keep pace with health costs within some limits, and continue to enroll new employees and their families.
However, if health plans significantly raise co-payments or deductibles, or if they significantly reduce benefits – for example, if they stop covering treatment for a disease like HIV/AIDS or cystic fibrosis – they’ll lose their grandfathered status and their customers will get the same full set of consumer protections as new plans.
The bottom line is that under the Affordable Care Act, if you like your doctor and plan, you can keep them. But if you aren’t satisfied with your insurance options today, the Affordable Care Act provides for better, more affordable health care choices through new consumer protections. And beginning in 2014, it creates health insurance exchanges that will offer individuals and small businesses better, more affordable choices. Fact Sheet

Obama Town Hall on Senior Healthcare June 8

It's healthcare! The event starts at 11:40 am eastern and will be broadcast at CSPAN. Live stream at WhiteHouse.gov.

On Tuesday morning, June 8, President Barack Obama will participate in a national tele-town hall meeting at the Holiday Park Multipurpose Senior Center in Wheaton, Maryland with senior citizens to discuss the Affordable Care Act and efforts to combat senior scams and fraud in advance of the first mailing of the $250 “donut hole” rebate checks. In addition to attendees at the Senior Center, seniors across the country will be able to participate in the town hall meeting by phone. The President will be joined at the town hall meeting by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and representatives of the following organizations. See who'll be on the call here.

Michelle Obama's Speaks on Childhood Obesity Task Force Plan

Read the report here.

Stupak Wrong on Senate Bill Abortion Language

Update March 21: See Obama's executive order on abortion and healthcare here.

On Sunday's Meet the Press, Kathleen Sebelius alluded to the fact that Bart Stupak didn't know what he was talking about. She put it in a tactful way. I think Stupak is just trying to look good to his people. Either that or he's confused.

But is Stupak right -- that the Senate bill directly subsidizes abortions? The answer appears to be no.

For starters, let's look at the pages that Stupak cited to Stephanopoulos. From pages 2,071-2,072: "If a qualified health plan provides coverage of services described in paragraph (1)(B)(i)" -- i.e., abortion -- "the issuer of the plan shall not use any amount attributable to [health reform's government-funding mechanisms] for purposes of paying for such services.

As Slate's Timothy Noah, who fact-checked Stupak last week, writes, "That seems pretty straightforward. No government funding for abortions." First Read

Sebelius Beats Back False Healthcare Claims

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Orrin Hatch is Outraged Over Reconciliation.
Note to Orrin Hatch: So what if this was the first time reconciliation was used for such "sweeping" legislation, even though that's not true. What's your point? Congress's problem is that there are too many old fashioned thinkers, too many old minds.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sebelius Answers Insurance Questions

In the latest of White House chats, Kathleen Sebelius answers questions:

Sebelius on Proposed Rules for Health Insurers

Sebelius says that insurers would have to file rate increases online and provide information on how much they pay for various overhead costs, such as marketing and advertising.

Regina Benjamin Gets Sworn in As Surgeon General

More than 500 people -- including a healthy sprinkling from Alabama -- are expected to be on hand Monday afternoon when Dr. Regina Benjamin is formally sworn in as the 18th U.S. surgeon general.

The ceremony, to be held at the National Museum of the American Indian near the Capitol, will include Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Benjamin's predecessor, Dr. Richard Carmona, according to Lt. Kate Migliaccio, a spokeswoman for the surgeon general's office.

The museum was chosen because it has plenty of room and is near the Health and Human Services headquarters building, she said.

Benjamin, the nationally recognized founder of a Bayou La Batre health clinic, has actually been on the job formally known as "America's chief health educator" since soon after the Senate confirmed her in late October.

President Barack Obama had tapped Benjamin for the post last July. Al

Sebelius Says No Stoppage of Mammogram Coverage

Republicans Blocking Surgeon General Nominee

Another obstruction from the Party of No!
Obama's nominee for Surgeon General Regina Benjamin is being blocked by the usual suspects: John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley, Jon Kyl, Mike Enzi, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, John Thune, Lamar Alexander. They are blocking her because the White House called out Humana for scaring seniors with mailers warning them against health reform.
Meanwhile, health insurance execs are lobbying to keep their pay. They're concerned health reform will lower their salaries.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama Visits National Institutes of Health Sept. 30

UPDATE: See the video here.

UPDATE: Event concluded. Obama announced $5 BILLION in research grants for NIH. I'll post video when it's up.

UPDATE: Obama will arrive at NIH at 10:30 to tour. He's scheduled to speak at 11 am eastern. via Politico
Obama will visit the National Institutes of Health in Maryland on Sept. 30, along with Kathleen Sebelius and Francis Collins, director of the NIH. Obama will make an announcement regarding NIH Challenge Grants, a recovery act program. It should be live streamed at cnn.com, whitehouse.gov/live or msnbc.com.

Visit recovery.gov to see where the stimulus has gone.
The NIH received $8.2 billion in stimulus:

The recent ARRA legislation provides an unprecedented level of funding ($8.2 billion in extramural funding) to the NIH to help stimulate the US economy through the support and advancement of scientific research. While NIH Institutes and Centers have broad flexibility to invest in many types of grant programs, they will follow the spirit of the ARRA by funding projects that will stimulate the economy, create or retain jobs, and have the potential for making scientific progress in 2 years. Read more about plans for the money here.

See recently funded NIH projects here.

What is a challenge grant?

President Obama and Vice President Biden believe federally funded scientific research should play an important role in advancing science and technology in the classroom and in the lab.

The Challenge Grant program is designed to spur new areas of research and trigger an influx of research dollars into communities across the nation. NIH requested applications on topics in fifteen broad scientific areas the agency believes will benefit from a jumpstart or in which scientific challenges need to be overcome. They include bioethics, translational science, genomics, health disparities, enhancing clinical trials, behavioral change and prevention, and regenerative medicine.

The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will check the applications for compliance and review them in a two-phase process. Reviewers with expertise in the specialized topic areas were recruited to do the first phase reviews. Their reviews and the applications will be further assessed by one of about 30 study sections comprising researchers who will focus on overall significance and impact.

All Challenge Grant applications will receive a summary statement containing critiques with criterion scores from three assigned reviewers. More than 18,000 scientists are expected to be involved in the Challenge Grant peer review process.

CSR typically reviews 16,000 applications with the help of about 8,000 reviewers in each of the three main yearly review rounds. Including Challenge Grants and other ARRA grants, CSR will assess about 40,000 applications this round with about 28,000 reviewers.

The deadline for Challenge Grant applications was April 27. Scores and summary statements will be available in August 2009. Challenge Grant awards will be issued by September 30, 2009. NIH

Read more about challenge grants at the Dept. of Health and Human Services here.