First Edition: GOP’s Health Care Plan
The Associated Press:
Trump Celebrates Hill Victory, Relishes Visit To Hometown
President Donald Trump had already planned a celebration as he returned to his hometown for the first time since his inauguration. House Republicans gave him another reason to enjoy the moment. Trump flew to New York to join Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard the USS Intrepid to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Before he left the White House on Thursday, however, he hosted a Rose Garden event to applaud passage of the GOP-sponsored House health care law. (5/5)
The Washington Post:
Trump Crows About His Health-Care Victory — Even Though He Hasn’t Really Won Yet
President Trump clapped and pointed. He grinned and nodded. He mouthed praise and boomed exultations. He even, at one point, turned his back to the lectern to face the House Republican leadership, tossing his arms wide in open embrace before swooping his index fingers above the crowd — as if conducting a symphony of recalcitrant lawmakers who had finally, haltingly, learned how to harmonize. (Parker, 5/4)
The Associated Press:
Last-Minute Bargaining Keyed Passage Of GOP Health Care Bill
Trump pumped his fist as he arrived to cheers, declaring that his first step in repealing and replacing the "Obamacare" law that he had campaigned against had "brought the Republican Party together. We're going to get this finished. "Rose Garden ceremonies are normally reserved for major bill signings and big presidential moments, but Trump wanted to project an image of success — even on a bill that passed the Republican-led House with only a vote to spare. (5/5)
Politico:
Trump Savors Health Care Win: ‘Hey, I’m President’
“How am I doing? Am I doing OK? I'm president. Hey, I’m president,” Trump said in a Rose Garden victory lap that was unusually elaborate for a bill still so far from becoming law. “Can you believe it?” (Goldmacher, 5/4)
Politico:
Trump: I’m ‘So Confident’ Health Care Bill Will Pass The Senate
“We’re gonna get this passed through the Senate,” Trump said. “I feel so confident.” (McCaskill, 5/4)
The Washington Post:
Trump Praises Australia’s Universal Health-Care System: ‘You Have Better Health Care Than We Do’
Seconds after praising his party's efforts to pass a new health-care bill that estimates said would leave millions uninsured, President Trump praised Australia's government-funded universal heath-care system. “We have a failing health care — I shouldn't say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia, because you have better health care than we do,” a tuxedo-clad Trump said at a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Manhattan on Thursday. (Phillip, 5/4)
Politico:
'The White House Just Couldn't Let This Go'
Donald Trump had had it.The Obamacare repeal bill that the president had just boasted was on the cusp of passage was suddenly in trouble again, and the president demanded to talk to the influential congressman who dropped a bombshell hours earlier with an announcement he’d be voting “no”: Michigan Rep. Fred Upton. (Bade and Dawsey, 5/5)
Politico:
Doubted And Mocked, Ryan Delivers Big For Trump
Thursday may have been Paul Ryan’s best day as speaker of the House. Or according to Democrats, his worst. After months of tense negotiations, false starts and unrelenting pressure from President Donald Trump, a weary-looking Ryan and his leadership team pushed through legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare. It passed with one vote to spare, 217 to 213, with 20 Republicans and all Democrats opposed. (Bresnahan and Haberkorn, 5/4)
The New York Times:
In House Health Vote, Reince Priebus Sees A Much-Needed Reprieve
The Republican health care overhaul might never become law, but it has already changed the life of one American: Reince Priebus, who knew it was his best and perhaps last hope of becoming an empowered White House chief of staff. President Trump placed much of the blame for his first, failed push to repeal the Affordable Care Act in March on Mr. Priebus, the harried and ambitious former Republican National Committee chairman. (Thrush and Haberman, 5/5)
The Associated Press:
Pre-Existing Conditions And The Health Plan: Who's Covered?
States will be able to get federal waivers allowing insurers to charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing illnesses who have let their coverage lapse. States can then use federal money to fund government-operated insurance programs for expensive patients called "high-risk pools." (5/4)
USA Today:
Experts: Pre-Existing Coverage In House GOP Bill Would Fall Far Short
The $23 billion included in the House Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to pay for people with pre-existing chronic health conditions will only cover about 5% of the estimated 2.2 million people who need insurance, a new analysis concluded. (O'Donnell, 5/4)
The Associated Press:
Anxiety Over GOP Health Plan For Those With Severe Illnesses
"Today, it really kind of sunk in that not only are we not going to potentially have health care coverage but that it was done as a political win rather than a well-thought-out plan," said Martinez, a 32-year-old former chef who's studying social work. "That's what stings about it." (5/5)
The Washington Post:
What Is In The Republican Health-Care Bill? Questions And Answers On Preexisting Conditions, Medicaid And More.
In broad strokes, the legislation has a lot of financial aspects. For instance, it would substantially reduce the funding for subsidies that the ACA provides to most people seeking health coverage through insurance marketplaces the law created. It also would make other changes to those subsidies in ways that, overall, would help younger adults and increase premiums for older people. The bill also would eliminate several taxes the ACA created to help pay for its provisions, including on health insurers and affluent Americans. (Eilperin and Goldstein, 5/4)
The Washington Post:
This Is What Americans Will Really Dislike About The House ‘Trumpcare’ Bill
Most public discussion so far has been about how the AHCA will change the ACA’s most popular provisions like guaranteed coverage for people with preexisting conditions. But even unpopular provisions could cause problems. For instance, only 35 percent of the public supports the individual mandate — which requires everyone to have health insurance or pay an annual fine. But our research suggests that Republicans may face backlash even there, once opponents highlight what the AHCA uses to replace the mandate. (Fowler, Baum, Laermer and Gollust, 5/5)
The Washington Post:
House Republican Plan Could Raise Health Costs For Pregnant Women And Mothers, Critics Warn
The health-care plan House Republicans passed Thursday opens the door for states to upcharge people with preexisting conditions — including pregnancy, health policy analysts warned. The risk of higher premiums for women of childbearing age arises from the so-called MacArthur amendment — crafted by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) — which allows states to propose their own “essential benefits” package. (Paquette, 5/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
GOP Health Bill Jeopardizes Out-Of-Pocket Caps In Employer Plans
Many people who obtain health insurance through their employers—about half of the country—could be at risk of losing protections that limit out-of-pocket costs for catastrophic illnesses, due to a little-noticed provision of the House Republican health-care bill, health-policy experts say. (Armour and Hackman, 5/4)
The Washington Post:
Congressional Health-Care Bill ‘Defunds’ Planned Parenthood
The health-care bill passed by the House brought Republicans closer to their goal of erasing Obamacare from the books. But it also revived another long- cherished aspiration: cutting off the flow of federal funds to Planned Parenthood. A provision in the bill temporarily blocks the 100-year-old nonprofit women’s health organization and abortion provider from participating in the Medicaid program. If enacted, it would deal a devastating blow to an organization that provides reproductive services and other health care to 2.5 million people annually. (Somashekhar and Cunningham, 5/4)
NPR:
Republican Health Care Bill Delivers Big Tax Cut For The Rich
The health care bill passed by the House on Thursday is a win for the wealthy, in terms of taxes. While the Affordable Care Act raised taxes on the rich to subsidize health insurance for the poor, the repeal-and-replace bill passed by House Republicans would redistribute hundreds of billions of dollars in the opposite direction. It would deliver a sizable tax cut to the rich, while reducing government subsidies for Medicaid recipients and those buying coverage on the individual market. (Horsley, 5/4)
NPR:
Winners And Losers Under The House GOP Health Bill
The AHCA would shrink Medicaid coverage, undercut some protections for people with preexisting conditions and eliminate billions of dollars in taxes that currently help pay for the ACA. We've broken down how its provisions would change health coverage for nine key groups of people. (Neel, Kodjak and Hurt, 5/4)
The New York Times:
In Rare Unity, Hospitals, Doctors And Insurers Criticize Health Bill
It is a rare unifying moment. Hospitals, doctors, health insurers and some consumer groups, with few exceptions, are speaking with one voice and urging significant changes to the Republican health care legislation that passed the House on Thursday. (Abelson and Thomas, 5/4)
The New York Times:
Who Wins And Who Loses In The Latest G.O.P. Health Care Bill
Any sizable change in our complex health care system leaves some people and businesses better or worse off. For some, insurance will become more affordable — or their taxes will be lower. Others will lose out on financial support or health care coverage. You can see how you might be affected in our summary of winners and losers. (Sanger-Katz, 5/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
New Health Bill Or Old, Insurers Signal They’re Ready To Make Big Changes
Insurers are sending mounting signals of trouble next year for the marketplaces where consumers buy insurance, a looming issue not eased by House passage of the Republican health bill. Regulatory filings in two states with early deadlines, Virginia and Maryland, showed several insurers seeking major premium increases for their 2018 Affordable Care Act exchange plans. (Wilde Mathews and Radnofsky, 5/4)
Reuters:
Health Insurers Focused On 2018 Unknowns For Obamacare Market
While attention is focused on Republicans' fight to pass a bill to repeal Obamacare starting in 2019, health insurers are busy struggling with decisions they need to make now about how to price premiums and what markets they can afford to be in next year. Hospitals are on the other side of that coin, concerned that a spike in the cost of Obamacare premiums next year will cause many people to simply drop insurance coverage, reducing their revenues in the near future. (Humer, 5/4)
The Washington Post:
One Of Maryland’s Biggest Obamacare Insurers Wants To Hike Rates 50 Percent Next Year
The head of the largest insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region warned Thursday that the Affordable Care Act marketplaces were in the early stages of a death spiral, a statement that came as the company announced its request for massive, double-digit premium increases for next year. (Johnson, 5/4)
Reuters:
Republican Health Bill Stirs Fear In Opioid-Wracked West Virginia
Debra Bright said she battled for years with mental illness and addiction to pain pills and other drugs that were all too easy to find where she lives in West Virginia, one of the states hardest hit by the country's opiate epidemic. Now Bright, 42, fears the bill passed on Thursday by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to repeal Obamacare will roll back the Medicaid insurance coverage that has enabled her to get drug and mental health treatments she would not have been able to afford otherwise. (Kenning, 5/4)
