Public Option Drives Wedge Between Moderate, Liberal Democrats
The debate is a foreshadow of what could come if Hillary Clinton becomes president and Democrats push a public option. Meanwhile, the president of Enroll America talks with Politico about the dangers of gloomy predictions about the health law.
Politico:
Democratic Liberals, Moderates Feud Over Public Option
A liberal attempt to revive the so-called public option — a government-run insurance plan to shore up gaps in the Affordable Care Act — is opening old wounds between the Democratic Party’s liberal and moderate wings. Thirty-three mostly liberal Democrats, including all the Senate leadership, have signed onto a nonbinding Senate resolution introduced last Friday to add the public option to Obamacare, arguing that it is needed to fix problems with the president’s signature health care law. (Haberkorn, 9/22)
Politico:
Anne Filipic Warns That Obamacare Doom-And-Gloom Can Be Self-Fulfilling
With insurers dropping out and premium rates going up, Obamacare has hit its roughest patch in years. Even some Democrats are acknowledging the law needs fixes. But according to Anne Filipic, the doom-and-gloom predictions aren't just misplaced — they're making her job harder. "We have real challenges in reaching the remaining uninsured and helping them understand that there are affordable options," the president of Enroll America told POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast. "This broader narrative isn’t helpful to them." (Diamond, 22)
Meanwhile, in the states —
Pioneer Press:
Committees Disagree Over Proposed Change To MNsure Funding
MNsure is getting conflicting advice about whether its funding mechanism should be changed. Currently, the state-run health insurance exchange is funded in part by a 3.5 percent tax applied to premiums of insurance plans bought on MNsure. MNsure has about 70,000 enrollees, with hopes to sign up more at this fall’s open enrollment, and the 3.5 percent tax on these plans is projected to bring in about $13 million next year. At the beginning of the year, a Health Care Financing Task Force convened by Gov. Mark Dayton recommended a change: Lower the 3.5 percent tax significantly, but apply the tax not just to the 70,000 current MNsure plans, but also the 180,000 plans purchased on the individual market without involving MNsure. (Montgomery, 9/21)
