Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
After Years Of 'Repeal And Replace' Rhetoric, GOP Rebrands Efforts To Embrace 'Repair'
Bloomberg: Republicans Rebrand Obamacare Strategy From ‘Repeal’ To ‘Repair’
Some Republicans in Congress are starting to talk more about trying to “repair” Obamacare, rather than simply calling for “repeal and replace.” There’s good reason for that. The repair language was discussed by Republicans during their closed-door policy retreat in Philadelphia last week as a better way to brand their strategy. Some of that discussion flowed from views that Republicans may not be headed toward a total replacement, said one conservative House lawmaker who didn’t want to be identified. (Edney, House and Tracer, 2/1)
The Hill: GOP Talk Shifts From Replacing ObamaCare To Repairing It
Not everyone is on board with the new rhetoric. Some Republicans say their party should be focused on repealing the law and replacing it, not repairing it. “I’m hearing a lot of members say that they want ObamaCare-lite,” said Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho). “That’s not what we promised the American people.” (Sullivan, 2/1)
The Hill: Freedom Caucus Meets With Senators On ObamaCare Replacement
Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus met separately with Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) this week to discuss the senators’ ObamaCare replacement plans. The Freedom Caucus has been a vocal proponent of having a replacement plan ready to pass at the same time as repeal, with its members searching for a plan by meeting with the two senators, each of whom have put forward bills. (Sullivan, 2/1)
Texas Tribune: Michael Burgess Will Lead The GOP Charge On Unwinding ObamAcare
In a delegation packed with chairmen and some of the most bombastic members of Congress, one of the quieter Texas members this week took on one of the most daunting tasks ahead for House Republicans. U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, a Lewisville Republican, led his first hearings this week to unwind the Affordable Care Act, the Democrats' 2010 health care overhaul. But in an interview with the Tribune on Wednesday, Burgess suggested his aim was not so much to unwind the landmark bill but "to fix" the overall health care system. (Livingston, 2/2)
The Hill: Hatch: All ObamaCare Taxes 'Need To Go'
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is calling for all of ObamaCare’s taxes to be repealed, a potentially key moment in an internal Republican debate on the issue. “We need to definitively answer the question about what to do with the ObamaCare taxes,” Hatch said in a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. “Some have argued that we should keep all or some of them in place and use them to pay for our eventual replacement package.” (Sullivan, 2/1)
And in the states —
Los Angeles Times: People From All Around California Are Heading To The Central Valley To Defend Obamacare. Here's Why
The crowd of hundreds was ready to march, winding a circuitous route from a Bakersfield park to the nearby district office of Rep. Kevin McCarthy to rally in support of the Affordable Care Act. But before they hoisted their signs and joined in healthcare-themed chants, there was a quick geographic roll call. “How many of you are from Bakersfield?” asked the emcee. About half the attendees cheered. The rest had come from farther-flung homes: Long Beach, Sacramento, Riverside. They had traveled via chartered bus, largely with labor unions or grass-roots liberal groups, to the heart of the California effort to save Obamacare. (Mason, 2/2)
The Baltimore Sun: Obamacare Enrollment Up In Maryland, Despite Uncertainty
Amid uncertainty about the future of the national health care law, record numbers of Marylanders signed up for coverage this year, according to figures released by the state Wednesday. In what could be the final enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act, nearly 432,000 Maryland residents signed up for the law's various offerings, up 7.5 percent over last year. All of that growth came from new Medicaid participants. The number of people buying into private plans declined 3 percent. (Cohn and Fritze, 2/1)
