Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Even If You Get Insurance Through Work, Trump Administration's Pre-Existing Conditions Decision Could Still Effect You
The Associated Press: Worker Protections Seen At Risk In Trump Health Care Shift
The Trump administration's latest move against "Obamacare" could jeopardize legal protections on pre-existing medical conditions for millions of people with employer coverage, particularly workers in small businesses, say law and insurance experts. At issue is Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recent decision that the Justice Department will no longer defend key parts of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act in court. That includes the law's unpopular requirement to carry health insurance, but also widely supported provisions that protect people with pre-existing medical conditions and limit what insurers can charge older, sicker customers. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 6/13)
The Wall Street Journal: Get Health Coverage At Work? Lawsuit Against ACA Could Affect You, Too
Most of the attention surrounding a recent Justice Department request to strike down parts of the ACA has focused on the individual market, where people buy their own coverage. But the request would also rewind some protections for the vast majority of Americans—some 175 million people—who get health coverage via small and large employers, analysts said. “Anyone who just thinks this is just impacting the 12 to 15 million individuals with individual coverage is wrong,” said Timothy Jost, an emeritus law professor at Washington and Lee University. (Armour, 6/13)
The Associated Press: Experts: Protections On Pre-Existing Conditions At Risk
The Trump administration's latest move against "Obamacare" could jeopardize legal protections on pre-existing medical conditions for millions of people with employer coverage, particularly workers in small businesses, say law and insurance experts. At issue is Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recent decision that the Justice Department will no longer defend key parts of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act in court. That includes the law's unpopular requirement to carry health insurance, but also widely supported provisions that protect people with pre-existing medical conditions and limit what insurers can charge older, sicker customers. (6/14)
The Washington Post Fact Check: President Trump’s Flip-Flop On Coverage For Preexisting Health Conditions
In plain English, the attorney general’s letter means that the Trump administration no longer supports a provision of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, that makes it possible for people to buy insurance if they have preexisting health conditions. Sessions, in an unusual step, sided with plaintiffs who had argued the ACA was now unconstitutional because Congress, in the tax bill, eliminated the penalty for not buying insurance, known as the individual mandate. Sessions said the Justice Department would no longer defend the law in a lawsuit brought by Republican-led states, a surprise stance that led to the resignation of a senior career lawyer at the Justice Department. (Glenn Kessler and Meg Kelly, 6/14)
The Hill: House Dems Demand Answers From HHS On DOJ's ObamaCare Decision
A group of House Democratic leaders are demanding answers from the Trump administration about the role the Department Health and Human Services (HHS) played in the Department of Justice’s decision not to defend key parts of ObamaCare in federal court. The lawmakers asked HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma if their respective agencies conducted any analysis on the impact the decision will have on the country’s health-care system. (Weixel, 6/13)
The Hill: Dems Seek To Leverage ObamaCare Fight For Midterms
Democrats are seizing on the Trump administration’s push in court to overturn ObamaCare’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, hoping to leverage the issue ahead of November’s midterm elections as some Republicans rush to distance themselves from the move. The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision to join a legal battle arguing that one of the most popular parts of ObamaCare should be struck down is being viewed by Democrats as a political gift, with the party apparatus quickly using the issue to attack GOP candidates and rally their base. (Sullivan, 6/14)
WBUR: Flipping The Script — Red State Democrats Campaign On Health Care
Democrats see the health care focus as a viable defense against the politically-unfriendly territory this year's Senate campaign is playing out on, as well as increasingly positive views voters hold about the economy and the general direction of the country. (Detrow, 6/14)
CQ: Democrats' Focus On Pre-Existing Conditions Puts GOP On Defense
Democrats capitalizing on the Trump administration’s decision not to defend the 2010 health care law in court are finding that most congressional Republicans are distancing themselves from the case.Democrats argue that Republicans are abandoning protections for patients with pre-existing conditions. Republicans, finding themselves on the defensive, are asserting their commitment to ensuring insurance coverage for sick patients. (McIntire, 6/13)
In other health law news —
The Hill: Insurance Experts: ObamaCare Mandate Repeal Driving Premium Increases
Increases in health-care costs and policy changes are driving ObamaCare premium increases for the 2019 plan year, according to a new report released Wednesday. The American Academy of Actuaries says that the elimination of the individual mandate penalty and the expansion of cheaper health plans with fewer benefits will contribute to premium increases next year. (Hellmann, 6/13)
Politico Pro: Obamacare Navigators In The Dark About 2019
The Trump administration has yet to tell Obamacare outreach workers when or how to apply for another round of federal grants to boost enrollment around the country for 2019, compounding worries that federal officials will undermine the law during the upcoming sign-up season. The delay in starting the funding process for groups working as so-called navigators is increasing anxiety that they could lose staff or be hindered as they hone their outreach tactics for 2019 enrollment. (Pradhan and Glorioso, 6/12)
Los Angeles Times: Nonprofit Hospitals Are Being Less Charitable. They Say That Shows Obamacare Is Working
California’s nonprofit hospitals are providing sharply less free and reduced-cost medical care than they did a few years ago, raising questions about the role and obligations of those institutions in the age of Obamacare. About 170 nonprofit general acute-care hospitals provided $651 million of charity care in 2016, down from $985 million in 2011, according to a report due out this week by the California Nurses Assn. (Cosgrove, 6/12)
