Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Democrats Can Finally Focus On Health Care Reforms; It's Time For Other States To Expand Medicaid
The Washington Post: The Democrats' House Victory Is A Sign Of Health For American Democracy
The Democrats achieved their victory Tuesday night in large part by promising to protect health-care coverage, especially for Americans with preexisting conditions. Though effective in winning over moderate voters, the campaign did not establish a clear mandate for much beyond that — eminently valid — objective. And of course, even if the Democrats set forth a list of specific proposals for the House, before or after Election Day, the Senate and Mr. Trump’s veto pen could block it. Still, the party can outline an alternative policy direction for the country. It can begin with measures to shore up the Affordable Care Act but then move to reforms of federal gun laws. (11/7)
Bloomberg: A Wave Election For Health-Care Reform
After an election campaign centered largely on health care, voters delivered their most emphatic message on the issue — not to Congress, but to the governments of red states. Expand Medicaid to cover a bigger share of the low-income population. For years, the people of Idaho, Utah and Nebraska watched their legislatures stubbornly refuse to widen Medicaid coverage as Obamacare proposed — forfeiting, in the process, billions in federal aid. On Tuesday, they took matters into their own hands, passing ballot initiatives to end the nonsense. In three more states — Maine, Kansas and Wisconsin — voters elected Democratic governors who promised to push for the same. (11/8)
Axios: The New Health Care Agenda: Gridlock, Lots Of Hearings
With a Democratic House, a Republican Senate, and President Trump in the White House, get ready for two years of manuevering but little progress on health care — unless you look beyond Washington. What to watch: No new health legislation of any significance will pass in this Congress. Democrats in the House will try to come together on a health agenda for the party while their presidential candidates pursue their own platforms. Democratic oversight of the administration’s actions in the House will be unremitting and in the news. And most of the real action affecting people will be in the states. (Drew Altman, 11/8)
Forbes: The Democrats Won On Health Care. What Will They Do Now?
Many of the winning Democrats ran on the mantra of Medicare for All. Considering a recent Reuters survey of the public showed that almost 85% of Democrats and 52% of Republicans support the idea of Medicare for All, that was probably a good move. Had the Democrats won the Senate too, they might have convinced the mercurial Trump to go along with Medicare for All legislation. But, alas, that will not come to pass. (Carolyn McClanahan, 11/7)
