Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Aftermath Of Election Success, Democrats May No Longer View Health Care As A Liability
The Associated Press: In Election Glow, Dems See Health Care As A Winning Issue
Democrats are starting to see a political edge in health care — particularly the idea of widening Medicaid access for more low-income people — after big election victories Tuesday night. In Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam promised a vigorous push as governor to expand Medicaid. Voters who said health care was important went decisively for Northam. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/9)
The Wall Street Journal: Democratic Wins Dent Efforts To Roll Back Health Law’s Individual Mandate
Democratic wins in Tuesday’s elections make it less likely that Republicans, as part of their tax package, will seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that most people have health coverage, according to congressional aides. Voters in Maine this week decisively backed a referendum to expand Medicaid under the ACA, and exit polls showed health care was a central issue for Virginians who elected Democrat Ralph Northam as their state’s governor. (Armour and Peterson, 11/8)
Politico: Battered By Trump, Obamacare Triumphs At The Polls
As Democrats now look to the 2018 midterms that will decide control of the House, Senate and key governorships across the country, they can begin to more confidently embrace the law that’s covering 20 million Americans and that emerged politically stronger after surviving months of concentrated Republican repeal attacks. (Pradhan, 11/8)
Los Angeles Times: Healthcare, For Years A Political Winner For GOP, Now Powers Democratic Wins
Tuesday's elections don't ensure healthcare will remain a winning issue for Democrats in 2018, when party leaders hope they can retake the majority in at least one chamber of Congress. But the emergence of healthcare as a political liability for Republicans marks a dramatic turnabout for the GOP, which for years reaped huge electoral gains by playing on the unpopularity of the 2010 law. (Levey, 11/8)
Kaiser Health News: Election Night Surprise: Health Care Galvanizes Voters
Health care appears to have played an unexpectedly robust role in Tuesday’s off-year elections, as Democrats swept statewide races in Virginia and New Jersey and voters told pollsters it was a top concern. The health headline of the night came in Maine, where voters by a large margin rebuked Republican Gov. Paul LePage and approved a referendum expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Maine is one of 19 states that has not expanded the program to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, or about $16,600 for an individual. An estimated 70,000 to 90,000 Mainers could gain insurance under the expansion. (Rovner, 11/8)
Meanwhile, a look at what went wrong for advocates in Ohio's drug prices ballot initiative —
Cleveland Plain Dealer: What We Learned From Issue 2's Failed Campaign
Issue 2, the drug price ballot initiative, failed by a historic margin on Tuesday night. ... this is the worst loss ever for an initiated statute, with a 58.5-point defeat. (Richardson, 11/8)
