Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Skewer GOP 'Replacement' For Obamacare
The Associated Press: Democrats Hit GOP Plan For Replacing Obama Health Care Law
A plan by three Republican lawmakers for replacing President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul would leave Americans with less coverage and higher costs than the landmark law they want to repeal, Democrats said Thursday. “It effectively raises taxes on the middle class, removes bedrock protections for consumers and chips away at key coverage benefits that Americans rely on,” Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said a day after the GOP authors released their outline. (2/5)
Connecticut Mirror: Murphy Blasts GOP Alternative To Affordable Care Act
As the Senate’s chief defender of the Affordable Care Act, Sen. Chris Murphy took a sledgehammer to a GOP alternative Thursday. (Radelat, 2/5)
Fox News: Republicans Unveil New Obamacare Replacement Plan
Congressional Republicans are unveiling what they say is a new plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, but the ‘blueprint,’ as they call it, looks an awful lot like what’s been floated before. (Kalman, 2/5)
Politico Pro: Jindal’s Anti-Obamacare Tactics Trigger Right-Wing Ruckus
A war of the right-wing wonks is starting to rage as Republicans debate how best to repeal and replace Obamacare — and potential GOP presidential contender Bobby Jindal is smack in the middle. (Wheaton, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Bobby Jindal Condemns ‘Elites’ And ‘Democrat Lite’ Republicans
Polling in the low single-digits and still trying to build a national donor base, Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is aiming to draw attention to himself and his soon-to-be 2016 presidential candidacy. So there was Mr. Jindal Thursday, calling out Washington’s Republican leaders for being insufficiently committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act. (Epstein, 2/5)
Another Republican effort to dismantle the health law's 'risk corridors' is also introduced -
The Hill: GOP Bill Hits Obamacare Risk Corridors
Republicans are seeking to ensure that no federal dollars go to health insurance companies under Obamacare's risk corridors, a program the GOP attacks as an industry "bailout." Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation Wednesday to make risk corridors budget-neutral. A similar bill from Cassidy was included in the federal spending package passed in December, though the requirement would only apply for one year. (Viebeck, 2/5)
