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Some concern in Oak Ridge as Congress considers repealing Affordable Care Act

Posted at 11:49 pm July 27, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Protesters express their opposition to the health care vote in May by U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Rocky Top post office on May 9, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Protesters express their opposition to the health care vote in May by U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Rocky Top post office on May 9, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The U.S. Senate continued to debate a potential repeal of at least part of the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” on Thursday night. It’s not clear what the Senate will eventually approve.

It’s also not clear what type of agreement the Senate can reach with the U.S. House of Representatives, if the Senate passes a bill. The House has already passed its own bill, the American Health Care Act.

On Thursday night, the Senate debate was focused on a so-called “skinny repeal,” which would roll back parts of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. It would repeal the mandates that most people have health insurance and that large employers cover their employees, but it would leave most of the health law in place, The New York Times reported.

It wasn’t clear if the Republican-controlled Senate had the votes to advance the legislation.

The vote on “skinny repeal” expected tonight comes after Senate Republicans were unable to reach consensus on broader legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and after an earlier repeal bill failed on Wednesday.

The health care debate in the Senate started with a 51-50 vote on Tuesday.

As the health care debate has played out in Congress this year, there has been some concern in Oak Ridge and Anderson County over the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010. It’s considered his signature domestic legislative achievement.

There has also been some concern here over possible Medicaid cuts. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Health, Top Stories Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, American Health Care Act, Anderson Walsh, Ann Walsh, Arc of Tennessee, Barack Obama, Bob Corker, CBO, Chuck Fleischmann, Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Emory Valley Center, health care bill, individual mandate, Jennifer Enderson, Jim Nelson, Joan Nelson, Lamar Alexander, Medicaid, Medicaid cuts, Obamacare, pre-existing conditions, skinny repeal, TennCare, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate

Reminder: Jan. 31 is the deadline for enrolling in health insurance for 2016 under ACA

Posted at 6:04 pm January 26, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

David Vudragovich

David Vudragovich

The deadline to sign up for a health insurance plan for 2016 under the Affordable Care Act is Sunday, January 31. Enrolling by then will provide a plan that starts on March 1.

If you do not enroll by January 31, the only way to enroll in coverage is if you have a special enrollment situation, such as a marriage, divorce, or birth of a child, or change jobs, etc.

Insurance agent David Vudragovich can help you with your health insurance needs. His office is located at 1970 Oak Ridge Highway (also known as Oak Ridge Turnpike and State Route 61), east of Elza Gate in Oak Ridge, at the first stop light in the county headed toward Clinton.

Vudragovich can help with health, life, and supplemental insurance; Medicare; and long-term care and retirement. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Health, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, David Vudragovich, health insurance

ACA workshop in Scarboro on Saturday

Posted at 12:15 pm March 19, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Oak Ridge/Anderson County Branch of the NAACP will host an Affordable Care Act signup on Saturday at the Scarboro Community Center on Carver Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The signup is scheduled from 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Individuals need to bring the following documentation to enroll: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Health Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, NAACP, Scarboro Community Center, signup

Schools consider revised outsourcing proposal for substitute teachers

Posted at 12:31 am March 19, 2014
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Oak Ridge Board of Education

An outsourcing proposal strongly opposed by teaching assistants last month has since been revised to include only substitute teachers at Oak Ridge Schools. It will be considered by the Oak Ridge Board of Education on Monday.

An outsourcing proposal strongly opposed by teaching assistants last month has since been revised to include only substitute teachers at Oak Ridge Schools.

The new proposal to use Professional Educational Services LLC, or PESG, of Nashville, to provide substitute teachers will be considered by the Oak Ridge Board of Education during a Monday evening meeting.

The outsourcing proposal began as an attempt to help the school system comply with the reporting requirements of the Affordable Care Act and to avoid potentially large fines of up to $1.2 million for errors that might be made in following the new federal health care law. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, health care law, health insurance, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge Schools, outsourcing, PESG, Professional Educational Services LLC, substitute teachers, TA, teaching assistants

TAs unite in opposition to outsourcing proposal as schools consider changes

Posted at 11:17 pm February 24, 2014
By John Huotari 5 Comments

Oak Ridge TA Outsourcing Teachers and Parents

Stacey Callison, left, says teaching assistants play important roles in the education of her children, and she thinks Oak Ridge Schools should seek another solution before outsourcing their jobs.

Note: This story was last updated at 12 a.m.

Teaching assistants have been united, and sometimes fierce, in their opposition to a proposal to outsource their jobs to a private company, and on Monday, Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers said administrators might have to “go back to the drawing board.”

The outsourcing proposal began as an attempt to help the school system comply with the reporting requirements of the Affordable Care Act and to avoid potentially large fines of up to $1.2 million for errors that might be made in following the new federal health care law.

But in the second half of a 3.5-hour school board meeting on Monday, teachers, teaching assistants, family members, and parents said the TAs would be concerned about their health care and retirement benefits if they were to become employees of PESG of Nashville. The 10 speakers also questioned the benefits of outsourcing in general, and they praised the work of Oak Ridge’s teaching assistants. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Education, K-12, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, Angi Agle, Autumn Moorhouse, Boyce Griffith, Bruce Borchers, Chris Marczak, health care, health insurance, Keys Fillauer, N. Henry Bledsoe, Oak Ridge Schools, paraprofessionals, PESG, retirement, substitute teachers, TAs, teaching assistants

Oak Ridge library offers two dates to enroll in Affordable Care Act

Posted at 12:21 am February 21, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Public Library will offer two opportunities for the public to enroll in the Affordable Care Act on Saturday, Feb. 22, and Saturday, March 8, from 2-5:30 p.m.

These events will be held in the auditorium and manned by volunteers who will provide both ACA information and ACA enrollment assistance for those interested in signing up for health insurance under the new ACA Exchanges. Individual computer stations will be available, and volunteers will be on hand to assist as needed. In addition, a Spanish-language translator will also be available.

The official website for enrollment is www.healthcare.gov; this site also contains detailed information about the ACA, and its costs and benefits. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Health, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: ACA, ACA exchanges, Affordable Care Act, enrollment, health insurance, Oak Ridge Public Library

Open house on Affordable Care Act at Kern Methodist on Saturday

Posted at 2:30 pm January 24, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Kern Memorial United Methodist Church is having a Saturday open house on the Affordable Care Act and options available to buy health insurance through the new Marketplace.

The open house is from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The church and volunteers will make printed information available as well as computers to get online resources, and they will provide individual help.

The open house will include informational PowerPoint presentations, especially for those who have never had health insurance. Access to websites such as www.healthcare.gov, www.KFF.org, and www.valuepenguin.com will be provided. Paper registration forms for the ACA will be available, as well as the toll-free phone number for getting information and signing up. Light refreshments will be served. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Churches, Community, Front Page News, Health Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, health insurance, HealthCare.gov, Kern Memorial United Methodist Church, KFF.org, Marketplace, open house, United Methodist Women of Kern Memorial

Saturday open house offers information on Affordable Care Act

Posted at 8:55 pm December 4, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge will host an open house on Saturday to provide information about getting insurance via the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called “Obamacare.”

The open house is from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday.

“Although the deadline for individuals to sign up has been extended to Dec. 23, time is getting short for those who wish to have insurance that takes effect as of Jan. 1,” a press release said.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the new health care act is invited to attend this educational event, especially those who need to get health insurance in the new Marketplace, the release said. Both printed information and computers to get online resources will be available to those attending, as well as individual assistance. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Churches, Community, Front Page News, Health Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club, Champion for Coverage, Grace Lutheran church, Jan Newsome, Jim Nelson, KAPA, Knoxville Area Project Access, Marketplace, Obamacare, Tennessee Health Care Coalition, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Open house offers information on Affordable Care Act on Saturday

Posted at 4:50 pm November 15, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 21 Comments

ACA Volunteer Jim Nelson

Affordable Care Act Volunteer Jim Nelson is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

An open house to provide information about the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called “Obamacare,” will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Grace Lutheran Church in Woodland.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the new health care act is invited to attend this educational event, especially those who need to get health insurance in the new marketplace. Those attending will be able to access both printed information and computers to get online resources, a press release said.

Community volunteers, including some experienced with the Tennessee Health Care Coalition, will be present to make sure their neighbors have access to affordable, quality health care, and accurate information about the ACA, the release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Churches, Community, Health, Top Stories Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, Carl Wheeler, Grace Lutheran church, health care, health insurance, Jim Nelson, KAPA, Knoxville Area Project Access, Mary Headrick, Obamacare, Tennessee Health Care Campaign, Tennessee Health Care Coalition

Dr. William Culbert to speak on Affordable Care Act on Thursday

Posted at 2:36 pm November 6, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 2 Comments

William Culbert

William Culbert

William Culbert Jr., MD, a family practice physician who is an advocate of the Affordable Care Act, will be the guest speaker at the Thursday meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club.

“The ACA, an Idea Whose Time Has Come,” is the topic of Dr. Culbert’s talk. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Club Room of the Clinton Community Center.

Vernon’s Burnins will serve Vernon Long’s award-winning, slow cooked barbecue, and the dinner costs $10 per person. For reservations, e-mail Ann Mostoller at [email protected] or call Mary Matheny at (865) 483-8937. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Community, Front Page News, Health Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club, Ann Mostoller, Clinton Community Center, Covenant Health Systems, health insurance, Mary Matheny, Obamacare, William Culbert

Oak Ridge Public Library offers help with Affordable Care Act

Posted at 11:50 pm September 9, 2013
By City of Oak Ridge 3 Comments

The Oak Ridge Public Library is joining libraries across the country as the starting point for people who will be participating in the Affordable Care Act.

The Marketplace opens Oct. 1, and it can be accessed through the website www.healthcare.gov. President Obama has called upon libraries with public Internet access to help fill the need of the estimated one in five Americans who do not have Internet access. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Health, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: ACA, Affordable Care Act, computers, David Vudragovich, health insurance, Internet, Marketplace, Oak Ridge Public Library, President Obama

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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