Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GOP Plan A Political Hot Potato, But House Leaders Aim To Get Votes Needed To Toss It To Senate
The Washington Post: House Republicans Continue Health-Care Push, May Leave Changes To Senate
The aim has become very simple for House Republicans stumbling closer to passing a bill to revise the Affordable Care Act: just get it off their plates and over to the Senate. In the messy effort to rally their often unruly party around a measure to replace big parts of President Barack Obama’s health-care law, House leaders have been forced to leave other objectives by the wayside and focus on one simple, political goal: pass a bill they can say repeals Obamacare — even if it has no hope of survival in the Senate — to shield their members in next year’s elections. (Weigel and Winfield Cunningham, 5/1)
The Associated Press: Repeal Or Spare? Pressure Is On Moderates Over Health Care
Moderate Republicans face intense pressure on their party's latest attempt to scrap Democrat Barack Obama's health care law — from President Donald Trump, House GOP leaders, medical professionals and outside political groups. Back home, their constituents provide little clarity. In interviews, Associated Press reporters found views deeply held and deeply divided, reflective of dueling impulses to fulfill the seven-year-old GOP promise to repeal the law and to save many of its parts. (Mulvihill and Riccardi, 5/2)
The Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump Gambles On Big Health-Care Victory
The risk for Mr. Trump is that it is far from clear that Republicans can round up the 216 votes they need on health care, especially from GOP centrists, after making changes in their initial proposal to win over conservatives. The centrists are especially spooked by a provision allowing insurers in some states to charge higher premiums to patients with pre-existing medical conditions who have let their coverage lapse. Republican leaders on Monday ramped up their efforts to persuade this group, assuring centrists that the Senate would make changes to allay their concerns and insisting that few states would actually use the waivers allowing higher premiums for pre-existing conditions, according to people familiar with the matter. (Armour, Peterson and Andrews, 5/1)
The Wall Street Journal: Pre-Existing Conditions Provision In House Health Plan Divides GOP
A number of states would likely pursue waivers in the House Republican health plan enabling them to charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions who let their coverage lapse, health analysts said. The waivers are the latest twist to the House GOP proposal that would topple most of the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a new plan that would bring steep Medicaid cuts and refundable tax credits to help people obtain health insurance if they don’t get it from their job. (Armour and Hackman, 5/1)
USA Today: Another 'No' Spells More Trouble For Revised GOP Obamacare Replacement Bill
In a sign of trouble for the GOP’s efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, a Missouri Republican lawmaker and staunch Trump supporter said Monday he would oppose a newly revised health care proposal because it weakens protections for those with pre-existing conditions. (Shesgreen, 5/1)
Politico: GOP Suffers Surprise Defection On Obamacare Repeal
President Donald Trump dialed up his campaign-trail ally Rep. Billy Long on Monday, after the Missouri Republican announced his decision to vote against the Republican plan to replace Obamacare. The goal was straightforward: Persuade Long to change his mind. It didn't work. Though Long hails from a deeply conservative district that overwhelmingly backed Trump over Hillary Clinton in November, and Long supported earlier versions of the legislation, the president's entreaties fell short, GOP insiders said. (Cheney, Bade and Dawsey, 5/1)
The Hill: In Surprise, Republican Says He's A No On Healthcare Bill
“I have always stated that one of the few good things about ObamaCare is that people with pre-existing conditions would be covered,” Long said in a statement. “The MacArthur amendment strips away any guarantee that pre-existing conditions would be covered and affordable.” (Sullivan, 5/1)
Roll Call: Even GOP Whip Team Undecided On Health Care
House Chief Deputy Whip Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina said Monday evening that Republicans are “very close” to winning the support needed to pass their health care overhaul. One place he might want to look: his own whip team. At least seven members said Monday they remain undecided. That list includes Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York, David Valadao of California, Kevin Yoder of Kansas, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, Erik Paulsen of Minnesota and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Some of those members, a fraction of the roughly 100-person whip team, said they would have supported the version Republicans had planned to vote on in March before leaders canceled the vote because it lacked the support to pass. (McPherson and Mershon, 5/1)
The Associated Press: Chaffetz Returning To Capitol Ahead Of Health Care Vote
Republican congressman Jason Chaffetz is returning to the Capitol, weeks earlier than expected following surgery last week in Utah. Chaffetz had said he would be away from the Capitol for up to four weeks following surgery to remove screws and pins from a foot he shattered 12 years ago. (5/1)
McClatchy: Trump's Obamacare Repeal Bill Tough For Republicans In California
The reluctance of California Republicans who fear losing re-election over the bill is a serious problem for national GOP leaders – who are desperate for a win and can only afford to lose 23 votes from among their 238 members in the U.S. House. At least nine of California’s 14 House Republicans so far have declined to publicly endorse the latest version of the American Health Care Act, the work-in-progress designed as the GOP alternative to the Obama administration’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (Cockerham and Doyle, 4/2)
WBUR: Trump Adviser: 'We're Convinced We've Got The Votes' On Health Care Overhaul
On "CBS This Morning," President Trump's chief economic adviser Gary Cohn said he thinks that Republicans have lined up the votes to pass the GOP's health care overhaul as early as this week. Last night the House and Senate reached an agreement to keep the government funded through September. (Hobson, 5/1)
The New York Times: Which Republicans Will Vote No? What 4 News Organizations Are Reporting
House Republican leaders are working intensively to gather votes for the American Health Care Act, a sweeping bill that would overhaul the health care system, effectively repealing and replacing Obamacare. An earlier attempt at passage in March failed, but the bill has been amended, and it may come to the House floor this week. (Katz, Quealy and Sanger-Katz, 5/1)
The Hill: Dem Group Targets House GOP’s Revised Health Bill
Democratic super PAC American Bridge’s nonprofit arm launched an ad campaign Tuesday targeting 17 House Republicans over the House GOP’s latest push to repeal and replace ObamaCare. Bridge Project’s digital ad, provided first to The Hill, argues that millions of people could lose coverage under the GOP proposal and say it will drive up costs for families, seniors and those living in rural areas. The minute-long spot also notes that the bill would make major cuts to Medicaid spending. (Hagen, 5/2)
The Associated Press: Lobbying By Hospitals, Doctors, Slows GOP Health Care Drive
"Obamacare" is showing surprising staying power, thanks in large part to doctors, hospitals and other health industry players opposing the alternatives that Republicans have proposed. The stories and perspectives they bring to the debate are grounded in the local community and the impact on finances and well-being. But also their professional associations are deep-pocketed campaign donors and major lobbying powers on Capitol Hill. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 5/1)
Politico: The Strange, Vegas-Style Marriage Of Paul Ryan And The Freedom Caucus
There were rumblings just before the election that the Freedom Caucus might try to take out Speaker Paul Ryan. Now the group of rebel conservatives is locking arms with him — at least momentarily. The fragile alliance has been sparked by their shared interest in finally tanking Obamacare, an eagerness to build momentum for the president’s agenda and a belief among hard-liners and leadership that each side has moved cautiously toward the other on health care. (Bade, 5/2)
