Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Lessons On Why 'Medicare For All' Is Wrong Answer; For Starters, ACA Removed Unfairness From Health Care
The New York Times: This Is The Strongest Argument Against Medicare For All
It was in Vermont that Senator Bernie Sanders learned to love single-payer health care — what he now calls Medicare for All — and it was in Vermont that American single-payer faced its greatest test so far. Under Gov. Pete Shumlin, a Democrat and avowed supporter of single-payer health care, the state worked to create a groundbreaking plan, called Green Mountain Care, to cover all its citizens. Following the Affordable Care Act’s 2010 passage, state lawmakers enacted legislation intended to put Vermont “on a path to a single-payer system.” No state-based single-payer effort ever made it as far, and Mr. Shumlin positioned the plan as a test case for the nation. (Peter Suderman, 10/9)
Miami Herald: ACA Still Under Attack By Republicans In Congress, President
Five years, nine months, and nine days — within the course of American history — is not a very long time. However, it was only that long ago that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) radically transformed the healthcare system in this country.Before Jan. 1, 2014, when the bulk of the ACA went into effect, Americans were completely at the mercy of an inequitable and unfair healthcare system: Insurers could place lifetime limits on covering essential benefits; drop your coverage if you got sick; or simply deny you coverage for “pre-existing” conditions. The ACA not only removed these outrageous barriers to getting health insurance, it gave all Americans, irrespective of provider, access to better quality and more affordable health insurance. (U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, 10/10)
New England Journal of Medicine: Tennessee’s Opening Bid For A Medicaid Block Grant
Melinda B. Buntin, Ph.D.Tennessee has begun the process of asking the federal government for a block grant for its Medicaid program. Negotiations between state officials and CMS will shed light on how much the Trump administration is willing to concede in order to claim the block-grant mantle. (Melinda B. Buntin, 10/10)
Nashville Tennessean: TennCare Block Grant Would Hurt Seniors, Nursing Homes
We are leaving out an entire category of our citizens in the discussion about Medicaid block grants—our seniors and, even if we are currently younger than 65, ourselves as future seniors. In Tennessee, we who are 65 and older account for 16% of the total population. That number is growing. You may have seen that 10,000 baby boomers a day are turning 65. About 5% of the people enrolled in TennCare are seniors, and TennCare provides 62% of the nursing home coverage in our state. (Barbara Moss, 10/11)
Louisville Courier Journal: Matt Bevin's Medicaid Plan Doesn't Make Sense For Kentucky's Health
I now work on health policy issues at Kentucky Equal Justice Center, and Friday, I’ll be joining our co-counsel, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Health Law Program in a D.C. courtroom. Together, we’ll represent 15 courageous Kentuckians as they challenge Gov. Bevin’s plan for Medicaid. The plan, called Kentucky HEALTH, would raise costs, reduce benefits and add new reporting requirements for people to get and keep Medicaid. Twice now, a federal district court has struck down the governor’s plan, but the Bevin administration keeps funneling state resources into defending it. We’ll see what the D.C. Circuit Court says about whether Kentucky HEALTH is legal. In the meantime, I’ve spent months trying to understand the reasoning behind the plan. Spoiler alert: I still don’t get it. (Betsy Davis Stone, 10/10)
