CHICAGO (Reuters) - Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty directed state agencies on Tuesday to decline all discretionary participation in federal healthcare reform, throwing up roadblocks to President Barack Obama's goal of providing health insurance to all Americans. "Obamacare is an intrusion by the federal government into personal health care matters and it's an explosion of federal spending that does nothing ...

Virginia's lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's health care reform law has cleared its first legal hurdle. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson on Monday denied the Justice Department's request to dismiss the lawsuit. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli claims that Congress does not have ...

Some major health insurance companies have stopped issuing certain types of policies for children, an unintended consequence of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law. Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said in his state UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have stopped issuing new policies that cover children individually — not as dependents of their parents. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim ...

The Obama administration is spelling out new rights for consumers to appeal to a neutral referee if their health insurance company denies a claim. Federal regulations issued Thursday will require a two-stage process. First, consumers will appeal directly to the insurer. If they get a second denial ...

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is warning that President Barack Obama's health care overhaul would hurt those with special needs by raising insurance costs. Palin said Tuesday at a fundraiser for a ministry serving special needs children that new rules that raise $13 ...

A Dallas man accused of threatening to kill President Barack Obama has been denied bail. U.S. Magistrate Jeff Kaplan ruled Wednesday that 43-year-old Brian Dean Miller must remain in custody because he is a danger to the community. Miller is charged with one count of making ...

The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by 20 states challenging President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The motion filed late Wednesday says the U.S. District Court in Pensacola lacks subject-matter jurisdiction over some claims raised in the suit. The ...

WHEATON, Maryland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama assured older voters on Tuesday his healthcare reforms will protect their benefits as he launched a new push to counter opposition to the plan after weeks focused on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. With Obama preoccupied much of the time with the Gulf spill, administration officials have done little publicly ...

WHEATON, Maryland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama assured older voters on Tuesday his healthcare reforms will protect their benefits as he launched a new push to counter opposition to the plan after weeks focused on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. With Obama preoccupied much of the time with the Gulf spill, administration officials have done little publicly ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and supporters are embarking on a major publicity push to promote his healthcare overhaul, the White House said on Monday, as they seek to ward off opposition to the plan. On Tuesday, Obama travels to Maryland for a nationally televised question and answer session on the healthcare plan with older Americans. The event is timed ...