Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Plea To Congress From The Industry: Give Us A Short-Term Fix To Stabilize Marketplace
Los Angeles Times: With Healthcare In Turmoil, Senate Republicans Are Under Pressure To Buck Trump
Senate Republicans face increasing pressure to rescue health insurance markets and protect coverage for millions of Americans amid growing fears the Trump administration is going let the markets collapse. In recent days, leading hospitals, physician groups, health insurers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have pleaded with the Senate to step in, effectively going around the White House. (Levey and Mascaro, 5/23)
Roll Call: Republican Senator Seeks to Save Obamacare Before Dismantling It
Sen. Lamar Alexander has found himself in an uncommon position for most Republicans this year: Trying to save the shaky insurance markets created by the 2010 health care law before attending to a major overhaul of the law. The opinions of the Tennessee’s senior senator carry significant weight among his colleagues. He is a close confidant of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and also chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. And while Alexander has been a near constant critic of former President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, he is now one of the leading voices in the chamber for saving it, at least for 2018 and 2019. (Williams, 5/24)
CQ HealthBeat: McConnell Clamps Down On Health Care Leaks
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a warning to staffers last week amid growing frustration at the amount of information leaking from private Republican discussions on repealing the 2010 health law. At a May 16 meeting of his health care working group, the Kentucky Republican excused all non-leadership staffers after expressing annoyance over the number of leaks about the closed-door discussions, GOP senators and aides told Roll Call. He was particularly frustrated with a report that cited a verbatim conversation that took place during a prior meeting, according to one lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity. (Williams and Mershon, 5/23)
The Hill: Senate Feels Pressure For Summer Healthcare Vote
Senate Republicans are under mounting pressure to pass an ObamaCare repeal-and-replace bill before the congressional recess in August. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is wary of committing to a specific deadline after the House struggled to pass a bill, the White House wants the upper chamber to hit the gas. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and House GOP lawmakers are publicly nudging the Senate to vote before lawmakers leave town at the end of July. (Carney, 5/24)
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare CEOs Have Zipped Their Lips On AHCA Politics
House Republicans' Affordable Care Act repeal-and-replace bill is likely to undergo serious changes before the Senate votes on the legislation. But few healthcare CEOs are wielding their influence publicly to shape the legislation that will significantly affect their companies' bottom lines and customers. Insurer and provider executives are hiding behind industry lobbying groups, including America's Health Insurance Plans and the American Hospital Association, instead of using their power to influence lawmakers on the GOP's American Health Care Act. Their silence is a missed opportunity to serve their patients' best interests, some experts say. (Livingston, 5/23)
In other news on the American Health Care Act —
The Washington Post: Fact-Checking A Rosy Portrait Of The American Health Care Act
In a $2 million ad campaign to support the House GOP health plan, the right-leaning American Action Network (AAN) features a California woman named Elizabeth Jacinto who says she suffered under Obamacare and expresses enthusiasm for the American Health Care Act. The ACHA only narrowly passed the House and was greeted lukewarmly by the Senate, so a key part of the effort appears to assist 21 GOP lawmakers who cast a tough vote to support proposal. (Kessler, 5/24)
The Associated Press: Health Care Is Key Issue As Montana Fills US House Seat
Meagher County, Montana, may not be much different than the rest of the rural enclaves across America that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump last fall. The median annual household income is $38,000 — about 25 percent below the national average. Nearly 20 percent of its 1,800 residents live in poverty. And more than one in four people don't have health insurance. (5/23)
Concord Monitor: N.H. Legislators Push Bill To Let Regulators React To Health Insurance Upheaval
Facing a repeal of the Affordable Care Act and potential premium hikes next year, New Hampshire lawmakers are proposing to give state regulators broad authority to quickly respond...Under the measure, the state insurance department can work with the New Hampshire Health Plan to take steps meant to maintain coverage and stabilize prices in the individual market. Those could include reviving a high-risk pool or seeking waivers from the federal government to get money, officials said. Gov. Chris Sununu said in a letter that it is not his intent to waive requirements that insurers cover pre-existing conditions. Any changes would need a public hearing and sign-off from a legislative oversight committee. (Morris, 5/24)
Boston Globe: Study Finds That More Than 10 Percent Of Mass. Residents Would Be Uninsured If US House Health Care Bill Passes
Massachusetts, the state with the highest rate of residents with health insurance, could see its uninsured rate jump above 10 percent if the sweeping health care bill approved by the US House becomes law, according to a new analysis. The bill known as the American Health Care Act, which is backed by House Republicans and President Trump, would repeal huge portions of former president Obama’s health care law. (Dayal McCluskey, 5/23)
WBUR: GOP Health Bill Would Hike Uninsured Rate In Massachusetts To 10.3 Percent, Report Finds
For more than a decade, Massachusetts has had the lowest number of residents without health insurance in the nation. The rate dropped after the passage of a 2006 state coverage law and has remained low under Obamacare. But a study from the Urban Institute, a D.C.-based think tank that bills itself as independent, projects the state's uninsured rate would rise from 2.8 percent to 10.3 percent by 2022 — a nearly four-fold increase. (Bebinger, 5/23)
WBUR: CVS Health CEO Larry Merlo On GOP Health Care Plan, Opioid Crisis And Tax Overhaul
As America waits to hear from Washington about the future of health care, CVS Health is one major company that stands to feel a big impact from repealing the Affordable Care Act. The company has made major changes to its business to focus more on consumer health, including a 2014 decision to stop selling tobacco products. (Hobson, 5/23)
