Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A 'Public Option' Used To Be So Controversial It Was Dropped From ACA. In Era Of 'Medicare For All' It's Regained Appeal.
The New York Times: ‘Public Option’ Draws Voters Unsure About ‘Medicare For All’
One after another, voters at a recent campaign event here for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. expressed utter comfort with the centerpiece of his health care platform: an idea once so controversial that Democrats had to drop it from the Affordable Care Act to get the landmark law passed. The proposal would allow people of all incomes who aren’t old enough for Medicare to choose health coverage through a new government-run plan that would compete with private insurance, known by the less-than-catchy shorthand “public option.” (Goodnough, 11/24)
Politico: The Army Built To Fight ‘Medicare For All’
Chip Kahn took one look at the scene playing out inside the stately Hart Senate Office Building and knew he needed to do something about it. It was mid-September 2017 and Sen. Bernie Sanders had just ascended a stage to the cheers of more than a hundred health care activists, grassroots organizers and political supporters. The packed hearing room had played host to some of the most solemn moments in Washington's modern history: the crafting of a landmark missile treaty with the Soviet Union, the investigation of the 9/11 terror attacks, the consideration of at least five Supreme Court nominees. (Cancryn, 11/25)
And Medicare isn't perfect as it is —
USA Today: 'Medicare For All' Talk Misses Cost-Sharing Crunch For Older, Disabled Adults.
When Robert Davis's prescription medication money ran out weeks ago, he began rationing a life-sustaining $292,000-per-year drug he takes to treat his cystic fibrosis. On Tuesday, the suburban Houston man and father of two, got a lifeline in the mail: a free 30-day supply of a newer, even more expensive triple-combination drug with an annual cost of $311,000. The drug will bring him relief over the next month, but he's uncertain what will happen next. Although the 50-year-old has Medicare prescription drug coverage, he can't afford copays for it or other drugs he must take to stay healthy as he battles the life-shortening lung disorder. (Alltucker, 11/25)
