Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion And — Surprisingly — Covid Are Hottest Topics On First Day Of DNC
The New York Times: Biden Defends His Record and Endorses Harris: ‘America, I Gave My Best to You’
President Biden used his valedictory address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday to deliver a lengthy defense of his own record aimed at cementing a 50-year legacy of public service, even as he passed the reins to Vice President Kamala Harris as the new face of the party he led until just weeks ago. ... One by one, Biden ticked through a litany of achievements from the stump speeches of his now-ended campaign: $35 insulin; beating “big Pharma”; burn pits that harmed veterans; appointing a Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court; and more. (Shear, 8/19)
The Washington Post: 5 Takeaways From The Democratic Convention, Biden’s Speech On Day 1
The pandemic was a more surprising focus — but also one with a personal touch. Speakers mentioned Trump’s lack of leadership, his efforts to downplay the threat and his conspiracy theories. And more than one spoke from the heart as the relative of someone who died. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) mentioned the deaths of his health-care-worker mother and stepfather and added, “When Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene downplayed the horror of the pandemic, it should make us all furious.” (Blake, 8/20)
Modern Healthcare: What Democrats Could Do On Healthcare If Kamala Harris Wins
The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday in an atmosphere of renewed optimism for the party and a new candidate atop its ticket. One thing that won’t be entirely new is the trajectory of health policy should Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz win the White House on Election Day. The top-line item, healthcare analysts and policy experts predict, will still be reproductive healthcare and abortion ... which promises to be a recurring topic at the DNC in Chicago, which runs through Thursday. (McAuliff, 8/19)
Stat: At DNC, Health Care Platform Favors Smaller Goals Over Grand Reform
Gone are the days when Democrats bickered over wholesale reform of the American health care system — including Vice President Harris herself during the 2020 campaign cycle. Instead, their plan this election cycle evokes President Biden’s slogan to “finish the job” — even though they’re running a new candidate. With the notable exception of calling to erase medical debt by working with states, Democrats are largely eyeing marginal extensions or reinstatements of their prior policy achievements. (Zhang, 8/19)
Politico: Amanda Zurawski, Kaitlyn Joshua And Hadley Duvall Talk About The Consequences Of State Abortion Bans
Three women who the Harris campaign is leaning on to demonstrate the far-reaching consequences of state abortion bans in the post-Roe era took the stage here in Chicago Monday evening to share their stories. The women — Amanda Zurawski, Kaitlyn Joshua and Hadley Duvall — have emerged as key figures in the Harris campaign’s effort to demonstrate why former President Donald Trump’s leave-abortion-to-the-states approach is insufficient and poses barriers to people receiving needed medical care. (Messerly, 8/19)
Crain's Chicago Business: UI Health Nurses Go On Strike Near DNC In Chicago
Hundreds of registered nurses at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, or UI Health, went on strike this morning at the West Side hospital near the United Center, the headquarters of this week’s Democratic National Convention. Unionized UI Health nurses, represented by the Illinois Nurses Association, or INA, say they are protesting management’s unfair labor practices, understaffing and stagnating pay. (Davis, 8/19)
In other election news —
KFF Health News: Harris Did Not Vote To ‘Cut Medicare,’ Despite Trump's Claim
During a July 24 campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, former President Donald Trump claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris was responsible for passing legislation in the U.S. Senate to cut Medicare spending by nearly $300 billion. “As Vice President, Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to cut, as you know, Medicare by $273 billion,” Trump told rally attendees. “She cast a vote to cut Medicare.” Trump gave no further explanation for which vote he was referring to or how he arrived at that figure. (Gardenswartz, 8/20)
