Defeated, Health Insurers Cut Lobby Costs, Thank You Obamacare!

It turns out that Republicans might be right about health reform costing some jobs. The jobs of health insurance company lobbyists. Aww. From the second to third quarter of this year, the health insurance industry is cutting lobbying budgets.

Now what could be causing this decline? Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that despite their best efforts, ObamaCare continues to make people's lives better. Despite all their lobbying, the HHS just issued regulations that refused to count broker's fees as health care costs. Despite all their big money efforts, Barack Obama became their worst nightmare, passed health reform, and is now implementing it full speed. And oh, beginning this year, the insurance companies are going to have to start writing checks to their subscribers if the companies don't spend at least 85% of premium revenue in large group markets (80% in individual and small group markets) on you know, providing actual health care services.

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Bike sharing takes off

Thousands of Americans are switching to pedal power for their transportation needs as large-scale bicycle sharing programs sprout up throughout the country, making cities greener and residents healthier.

With support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, Washington and Denver launched bike-sharing projects this year. San Antonio is expected to roll out Texas’ first bike sharing system early next year.

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