Health plans offered through government-run insurance exchanges may be required to cover 30 percent of essential community providers in each county in 2015.

Republican U.S. senators opposed to Obamacare said the best alternative would be a narrower system of tax credits for Americans to buy health insurance without any of the mandates for people or companies to participate.

The tally reflects 800,000 new sign ups so far in January, adding to the 2.2 million who enrolled from Oct. 1 through December.

Target Corp. joins Trader Joes Co., Home Depot Inc. and other retailers that have scaled back benefits in response to changes from Obamacare.

Greeted by higher premiums, less generous coverage and more paperwork, small businesses that offer health coverage to employees are choosing to renew existing plans rather than buy them through President Barack Obamas program.

People who buy insurance on health exchanges run by the federal government are eligible for tax credits to reduce their premiums, a U.S. judge ruled.

The U.S. government said it would ramp up Obamacare outreach in 25 cities to lure younger people to the program after a report showed about 70 percent of the initial customers are 35 years of age or older.

U.S. cities and towns wont be required to provide health insurance for volunteer firefighters, a reprieve from federal Obamacare rules that fire departments had said would be financially devastating.