Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Wary Of Missing Info In Supreme Court Nominee's Packet
Politico: Dems Ask DOJ For Answers Over Barrett's Abortion Ad Omission
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats pressed the Justice Department Tuesday to explain the omission of a 2006 anti-abortion newspaper advertisement signed by Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, in her materials to the committee. In a letter to Assistant Attorney General Beth Williams, led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Committee, members voiced concern that more information could be missing from the Supreme Court nominee’s questionnaire. (Levine, 10/6)
NPR: Duckworth: Block Supreme Court Pick Who Thinks 'My Daughters Shouldn't Even Exist'
A Democratic U.S. senator who has spoken openly about motherhood and giving birth at age 50 is asking her Republican colleagues to reconsider their support for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in light of the judge's ties to an organization that has publicly opposed some types of fertility treatments. In a letter to her colleagues, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois describes the role of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, in helping her conceive her two daughters, now 5 and 2. In 2018, Duckworth famously brought her newborn daughter, Maile, on the Senate floor after lobbying for a rules change. (McCammon, 10/6)
In other news about the Supreme Court and the fight over Obamacare —
Modern Healthcare: Supreme Court Justices Question Whether States Can Regulate PBMs
Supreme Court justices on Tuesday questioned whether states have the authority to regulate how much middlemen hired by insurance plans pay pharmacies. During oral arguments, several justices asked about the burden health plans face since many states have a patchwork of PBM regulations. The case, Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, could decide the fate of those state PBM regulations. The justices are weighing whether the Employee Retirement Income Security Act allows states to force pharmacy benefit managers to pay pharmacies at least their cost of acquiring a drug. (Cohrs, 10/6)
MPR News: Coming Up: The Supreme Court And The Future Of The Affordable Care Act
A week after Election Day, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act. And Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will likely be asked during her confirmation hearings — scheduled for next week — about her criticism of a court majority opinion in 2012 that upheld the ACA, also known as ObamaCare. (Miller, 10/6)
KHN and Politifact: Fighting For Patient Protections While Attacking ACA — Hard To Have It Both Ways
Throughout the 2020 election cycle, candidates’ positions on health care have been particularly important for voters with underlying and often expensive medical needs — in short, those with preexisting conditions. It’s no surprise, then, that protections for people who have chronic health problems like diabetes and cancer have become a focal point for candidates nationwide — among them, Matt Rosendale, the Republican contender for Montana’s only U.S. House seat. (Sakariassen, 10/7)
KHN: Refuge In The Storm? ACA’s Role As Safety Net Is Tested By COVID Recession
The Affordable Care Act, facing its first test during a deep recession, is providing a refuge for some — but by no means all — people who have lost health coverage as the economy has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. New studies, from both federal and private research groups, generally indicate that when the country marked precipitous job losses from March to May — with more than 25 million people forced out of work — the loss of health insurance was less dramatic. (Findlay, 10/7)
