Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Newsom's Ideas On Health Care Reform Are Big Step Forward; NYC Care Is Nothing But A Fairy Tale
Los Angeles Times: Gov. Newsom’s Healthcare Initiatives Will Test What A Single State Can Achieve On Its Own
Gov. Gavin Newsom set down a marker for his administration’s approach to healthcare policy on its very first day, when he unveiled a strikingly comprehensive package of reform proposals aimed at improving access to care and lowering its costs. ... Newsom’s proposals thrilled healthcare advocates inside and outside the state, as they should. (Michael Hiltzik, 1/18)
Washington Times: New York City Leads The Way Down On Health Care
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this month that he plans to provide government-funded health care to an estimated 600,000 uninsured New Yorkers. Unsurprisingly for a mayor who’s known to prioritize ideology over reality, he’s once again jumped the gun on a fairy tale policy without understanding the costs — or the consequences. (Richard Berman, 1/21)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Transparency And Holding Down Health Care Costs
Despite the new regulations, the Review-Journal’s Jessie Bekker reported this week that local hospitals aren’t making things easier for discerning Southern Nevada patients. The majority of Las Vegas- area facilities have published price information that is rife with insurance industry jargon and indecipherable to the layperson. (1/22)
Columbus Dispatch: More Medical Care Choices For Military Vets
A new plan from the Trump administration will apply both resources and pressure by making it easier for veterans to get treatment from private doctors and hospitals, with the government paying. It would replace the popular Veterans Choice program, which has attracted 1 million veterans happy to obtain care in the private sector. (1/23)
Austin American-Statesman: Listen To Texans And Expand Medicaid Coverage
We don’t expect Texas officials who have long opposed Medicaid expansion to change their tune overnight. But they should listen to their constituents: A Kaiser Family Foundation-Episcopal Health Foundation poll last summer showed 64 percent of Texans supported Medicaid expansion. (1/18)
