Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
2 Republican AGs Argue Court Should Uphold Health Law In Sign Of Party Divisions Over Trump's Surprise Pivot
Reuters: Two Republican Attorneys General Urge Court To Uphold Obamacare
Two Republican state attorneys general on Monday urged a federal appeals court to uphold the Obamacare federal healthcare law, saying that striking it down would be disruptive for patients, doctors, insurers and employers.The attorneys general of Ohio and Montana submitted "friend of the court" briefs to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is expected to review a December ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, striking down the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. (Pierson, 4/1)
Politico: 2 Republican AGs Urge Court To Throw Out Obamacare Ruling
“The fact that a ruling has negative consequences does not mean it is wrong,” write Dave Yost of Ohio and Timothy Fox of Montana. “Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall. But the District Court’s ruling is wrong, and its errors threaten harm to millions of people in the Buckeye and Treasure states.” A federal judge in Texas ruled in December that all of Obamacare is unconstitutional. That decision has been put on hold as the lawsuit winds it way through the courts. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear an appeal filed by 17 Democratic-led states. (Demko, 4/1)
The Hill: 2 Republican AGs Urge Appeals Court To Overturn ObamaCare Ruling
Two Republican state attorneys general want a federal appeals court to overturn the ruling from a Texas judge that declared the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. In a brief filed Monday with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, the attorneys general of Montana and Ohio argued that District Judge Reed O’Connor overstepped his authority in his original ruling. (Weixel, 4/1)
The Hill: GOP Lawmakers Root Against Trump In Court On ObamaCare
Senate Republicans are privately rooting against President Trump in his court battle to strike down the Affordable Care Act. GOP lawmakers worry that if Trump wins, Congress won’t be able to pass anything to replace ObamaCare — and they’ll pay for it at the ballot box. Republicans generally agree that President Obama’s signature health care law has serious flaws, but they realize getting rid of it while Democrats control the House would leave a vacuum in place of protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions, insurance subsidies and expanded Medicaid. (Bolton and Sullivan, 4/1)
CQ: Capitol Hill Republicans Keep Focus On Lowering Health Costs
President Donald Trump says Republicans will be known as the party of health care, but on Capitol Hill, lawmakers say they’ll keep focusing specifically on lowering health care costs. An ongoing bipartisan effort to lower costs, particularly for prescription drugs, is a far cry from the 2017 effort to roll back the Democrats’ health care law and overhaul its insurance plans. But as Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of a vague, new health care plan in the past week, most lawmakers don’t appear to be charging down that road. (McIntire, 4/1)
