Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Candidates Should 'Be Honest' With Voters About Harsh Realities Of 'Medicare For All,' 2020 Hopeful Sen. Bennet Says
Politico: Bennet: Medicare For All Supporters 'Need To Level With The American People'
Sen. Michael Bennet suggested Monday that the “Medicare for All” proposals touted by many of his Democratic primary opponents may not be as popular as they seem, telling CNN that candidates should "be honest" with voters about the realities of such health care policies. “When you tell people the first thing about Medicare for All — either that it takes insurance away from 180 million Americans that have it through their employer or the taxes we would have to pay to afford that $30 trillion program — that 70 percent support falls to the mid-30s,” Bennet said on CNN's "New Day." “I think we need to level with the American people.” (Galioto, 5/6)
Des Moines Register: With Clean Bill Of Health, Michael Bennet Begins His Presidential Campaign In Iowa
On health care, he said that families without insurance would be hard-pressed to pay for the cost of his prostate operation, not to mention his youngest daughter’s appendectomy that soon followed it. His solution is the “Medicare X” plan he wrote and is sponsoring in the Senate. It would provide an option for people to enroll in Medicare, but also allow people to keep using private insurance, unlike "Medicare for All." (Cannon, 5/6)
Politico: Here's Where The Democratic Candidates Stand On The Biggest 2020 Issues
The Democratic primary field for 2020 is largely set, but with former Vice President Joe Biden finally jumping in, the most high-profile candidate has yet to weigh in on many of the policy fights that so far have defined the battle to beat Donald Trump. Voters, donors and political organizations are grilling candidates on whether they would support paying reparations to descendents of slaves, expanding the Supreme Court or abolishing the Electoral College. Biden, who has so far avoided many of these knotty questions, is sure to face inquiries about them soon. (Jin and Oprysko, 4/25)
In other 2020 election news, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) takes on gun control while Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) talks substance abuse —
Politico: Cheat Sheet: How Sen. Cory Booker Would Curb Gun Violence
Sen. Cory Booker on Monday rolled out a sweeping gun-control agenda that includes requiring licenses for all gun owners, one of the most aggressive gun-related proposals from a 2020 Democrat. The 14-part plan is part of what the New Jersey Democrat said is a “personal fight” to combat a gun violence "epidemic." It's sure to meet with fierce pushback from gun-rights groups like the National Rifle Association and faces an uncertain fate in Congress. (Oprysko, 5/6)
New Hampshire Public Radio: In Nashua, Klobuchar Says Stronger National Effort Needed On Opioid Epidemic
Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar visited a Nashua recovery center Monday to talk up her $100 billion plan to address mental health and addiction. Klobuchar says the country needs a president willing to lead on this issue. Klobuchar says her background -- as a prosecutor, and as the daughter of an alcoholic -- shapes her approach to addiction policy. She says the country is long overdue for a truly national approach to boosting treatment. (Rogers, 5/6)
