Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Experts Weigh In As Warren Scrambles For Plan To Pay For 'Medicare For All'
The Hill: Warren Faces Tough Choices On Funding 'Medicare For All'
It’s the multitrillion dollar question everyone is trying to answer, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.): How do you pay for “Medicare for All,” a proposal that would dramatically reshape the entire U.S. health care system? Warren, a Democratic candidate for president, says she will soon release a plan to pay for Medicare for All after facing criticism for evading questions about the proposal's potential tax implications for the middle class. (Hellmann, 10/24)
Los Angeles Times: Can Elizabeth Warren Afford To Be All In On 'Medicare For All'?
Warren is caught between two powerful forces. On the one side, progressives expect her to stick to her pledge to pursue a far-reaching plan similar to the one proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. On the other, her identity as the candidate of detailed policies means she can’t easily avoid the fine print, which is full of political peril. “She’s painted herself into a corner,” said Gerald Friedman, a University of Massachusetts economist whose research is often cited to support Medicare for all. “She wants Medicare for all, but she didn’t think through the politics.” (Halper and Hook, 10/24)
The Washington Post: Economists Rush To Help Sen. Elizabeth Warren Solve Medicare-For-All Puzzle
Internal and external economic policy advisers are trying to help Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) design a way to finance a single-payer Medicare-for-all health-care system that would place every American on a government insurance program. Warren has promised more details within weeks, but her team faces a challenge in crafting a plan that would bring in large amounts of revenue while not scaring off voters with big middle-class tax increases. The proposal could cost more than $30 trillion over 10 years. Complicating matters, she has already committed all of the money she would raise from a new wealth tax, close to $3 trillion over 10 years, to several other ideas, including child care and student debt cancellation. (Stein, 10/24)
Meanwhile, in other election news —
The Associated Press: Sanders Plans To Release Health Records By End Of Year
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is planning to release his health records by the end of the year. The White House hopeful addressed his health Thursday in Iowa ahead of his first appearance in an early voting state since suffering a heart attack earlier in the month. The 78-year-old Vermont senator has repeatedly promised to release his health records at some point, but he outlined a likely timeline in an interview with The Associated Press. (Peoples, 10/24)
New Hampshire Union Leader: Buttigieg Defends His Not-Only-Public Health Care Plan
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg faced some pushback Thursday night from unionized state workers about his health care plan that would maintain private insurance. The South Bend, Ind. mayor got some positive media reviews following his attack in the last debate against Elizabeth Warren for her refusal to say her Medicare for All public insurance plan would raise taxes as primary rival Bernie Sanders has already said his would. (Landrigan, 10/24)
The Hill: O'Rourke Unveils Plan To Combat Opioid Epidemic
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) unveiled a plan Thursday to address substance use disorders and end the opioid crisis as part of his 2020 presidential campaign. The plan would, among other things, look to end the stigma of substance abuse, focus on promoting long-term recovery, target the supply chain of illegally imported fentanyl and work to improve economic stability for those recovering from substance abuse. (Axelrod, 10/24)
Politico's Pulse Check: Meet John Marty — The 'Bernie Sanders Of Minnesota'
John Marty ran for state Senate in Minnesota in the 1980s because he wanted to achieve social change. More than 30 years later, single-payer health care has become his defining mission — and Marty says that his local battle has been supercharged by Bernie Sanders and the national Medicare for All movement. POLITICO's Dan Diamond looked at the political dynamics around Medicare for All and then sat down with Sen. Marty to discuss his policy, strategy and the difficult trade-offs behind single-payer. (10/24)
