Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Urge House Republicans To Follow In Senate's Bipartisan Footsteps
The Hill: Dems Call For ObamaCare Hearings In The House
Democrats are calling on House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) to hold bipartisan hearings on stabilizing ObamaCare markets. The committee's Democrats in a letter to Brady dated last Friday request that the panel hold hearings, and cite the Senate Health Committee’s hearings this month as an example. (Sullivan, 9/11)
The Hill: Dems Worry GOP Pulling Health Care Negotiations In Partisan Direction
It's unclear whether Republicans and Democrats on the Senate's Health Committee will be able to reach a deal by the end of the week on a bill to shore up ObamaCare's insurance markets. But Democrats are worried Republicans are digging in with conservative ideas, ruining changes at negotiation, a senior Democratic aide told The Hill. (Hellmann, 9/11)
The CT Mirror: CT’s Wade Weighs In With Obamacare Fixes
As a key Senate panel continues to seek a bipartisan fix for the Affordable Care Act, the Connecticut Insurance Department on Monday weighed in with its suggestions, including allowing people to buy a new, cheaper, “copper-level” plan with fewer benefits and higher out-of-pocket costs. In a letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade asked Congress to continue a moratorium on the ACA’s health insurance tax, a levy that will go into effect next year based on the premium dollars an insurer earns. (Radelat, 9/11)
The Hill: Paul: Cassidy-Graham Health Care Bill Not 'Going Anywhere'
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Monday that he opposes a new Republican ObamaCare replacement effort, saying it does not go far enough to repeal the law. Paul told reporters that the bill from GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) would “probably” be worse than doing nothing at all on the health law. (Sullivan, 9/11)
Politico Pro: Rand Paul: Graham-Cassidy Repeal Plan 'A Bad Idea'
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Monday said the GOP’s last-ditch plan to repeal Obamacare is a “bad idea” that he doesn’t see going anywhere. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) are scrambling to get the 50 GOP votes needed to pass their Obamacare repeal bill before the end of the month, when the Republicans' fast-track option to pass legislation with a simple majority expires in the Senate. (Haberkorn, 9/11)
