Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GOP Points Finger At Hospitals For Skyrocketing Healthcare Costs
The Hill: GOP Blames Hospitals For Soaring Healthcare Expenses
House Republicans during a Tuesday hearing blamed hospital and health systems for high health costs, excoriating a group of CEOs for exorbitant benefits packages, large profit margins and mergers. “Our communities are better off with hospitals in them, but large health systems have taken advantage of that reality,” Ways and Means Committee chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) said. “Simply put, hospitals are charging an insane amount for care.” Hospitals are one of the primary drivers of increased health spending, accounting for about 31 percent of all health care costs, according to the most recent federal data. Smith noted that hospital prices have skyrocketed 300 percent in just over two decades. (Weixel, 4/28)
NBC News: Hospital CEOs Defend Charging Patients More At Facilities
The hospital CEOs pushed back, saying the higher fees are because hospitals are often reimbursed below the cost of providing the care, particularly by government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. They also said the higher prices reflect the higher quality of their care, the cost of treating sicker patients and a federal requirement for hospitals to care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Privately owned clinics and facilities can generally have the right to choose what patients they see and can demand payment up front. “We’re the only participants in the healthcare value chain that have that obligation,” said Michael Waldrum, the CEO of North Carolina-based hospital system ECU Health. “Doctors, nurses, insurance companies, drug companies do not.” (Lovelace Jr., 4/28)
In related news about affordability and health insurance —
CBS News: Over Half Of Americans Say Their Finances Are Worsening, Gallup Poll Finds
A record 55% of Americans say their financial situation is worsening, with many expressing anxiety about covering monthly bills and making minimum credit card payments, according to a new Gallup poll. That percentage is the highest Gallup has recorded since it began asking Americans about their finances in 2001, showing consumers are less optimistic than they were during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the Great Recession in 2008. The survey is based on interviews with 1,001 adults conducted April 1-15, Gallup said. (Picchi, 4/28)
KFF Health News: Trump’s Medicaid Work Mandate Debuting In Nebraska To Much Dismay
Schmeeka Simpson of Omaha works as a patient navigator for the American Civil Liberties Union and an administrative assistant at Nebraskans for Peace, plus picks up shifts at a Dunkin’ shop. Still, even with three jobs, she worries about losing her health coverage when Nebraska, on May 1, becomes the first state to require certain Medicaid enrollees to work, train, or go to school under a rule mandated by congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (Galewitz, 4/29)
More news from Capitol Hill —
Politico: Barney Frank, Entering Hospice Care, Embarks On A Final Act: Taking On The Left
Former Rep. Barney Frank, a liberal icon who was a key architect of the landmark Wall Street regulations Democrats enacted in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, has entered hospice care at his home in Maine. And as one of his last acts, he is preparing to release a book repudiating his party’s left flank. A champion of liberal causes during his 32 years representing Massachusetts in the House, Frank says progressive Democrats have “embraced an agenda that goes beyond what’s politically acceptable.” (Goodman, 4/28)
Politico: Dem Pollster Says Party Should Do More To Sell Health Care Message
Battleground-state voters across the political spectrum say the cost of their health care has skyrocketed this year. They’re avoiding the doctor because they can’t afford the out-of-pocket expenses. They feel forced to choose between paying their insurance or their rent — and they’re choosing rent. It’s everything Democrats warned would happen when Republicans cut Medicaid and let Obamacare subsidies lapse last year. But those same voters aren’t pinning the blame on Republicans alone. (Kashinsky, 4/28)
NOTUS: Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Brought Back ‘Bad Memories’ For Scalise
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, heard the gunshots at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He saw waitstaff duck for cover and Secret Service agents rush towards President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. “Some bad memories started coming back,” Scalise told NOTUS. Scalise survived an assassination attempt while at a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game in 2017. A gunman opened fire and struck Scalise, nearly killing him and leading to a lengthy recovery. (Gorman, 4/28)
