Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Blame Entitlements For Soaring Budget Deficit; 'Junk' Health Plans Would Harm Middle Class
The Wall Street Journal: Why America Is Going Broke
The federal deficit is big and getting bigger. President Trump’s budget estimates a deficit of nearly $900 billion for 2018 and nearly $1 trillion (with total spending of $4.4 trillion) for 2019. Its balance sheet reveals that the public debt will reach $15.7 trillion by October. This works out to $48,081.61 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. That doesn’t count unfunded liabilities, reported by the Social Security and Medicare Trustees, that are four times the current public debt. How did the federal government’s finances degenerate this far? ...If you’re seeking the reason for the federal government’s chronic budget deficits and crushing national debt, look no further than entitlement programs. (John F. Cogan, 2/21)
The New York Times: Trump Tries To Kill Obamacare By A Thousand Cuts
Having failed in its effort to have Congress repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration has been relentlessly trying to destroy the health care law on its own. The latest move in that demolition derby came this week, when officials proposed giving insurance companies more leeway to sell junk health plans. (2/21)
Los Angeles Times: Yes, Obamacare Is Too Expensive For Some Buyers, But Trump's 'Fix' Would Make Things Even Worse
The Trump administration got one thing right in its proposal to loosen Affordable Care Act regulations so insurers could sell skimpier health plans that don't offer the full range of ACA-mandated benefits. It's true, as the White House says, that Obamacare plans can be too expensive for some buyers — those with household incomes exceeding 400% of the federal poverty level, or $48,560 for an individual and $100,400 for a family of four. (Michael Hiltzik, 2/21)
The Washington Post: Some Virginia Republicans Finally Have An Epiphany On Medicaid
In refusing to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act for the past several years, Virginia Republicans seemed intent on sticking it to President Barack Obama and then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). In fact, they stuck it to themselves, losing 15 seats in this past fall’s elections for the House of Delegates, in most cases to Democrats who promised to expand Medicaid. And the GOP really stuck it to hundreds of thousands of poor and mostly employed working Virginians, especially in rural areas, who lack Medicaid coverage. (2/21)
