Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In States That Are 'Toss Ups' In 2018, Voters Care More About Economy, North Korea Than Health Care
CQ: Poll: Other Issues Eclipse Health Care In Battleground States
Democrats are focusing on health care as the dominant policy issue in the 2018 midterm elections, but a new poll finds that voters in battleground states have greater concerns. Health care is the top issue for voters nationwide but ranks fourth in importance in states with competitive House, Senate and governor races, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Friday. In those states, voters say jobs and the economy, the situation in North Korea and immigration are more important for congressional candidates to talk about during the campaign. (McIntire, 1/26)
Kaiser Health News: In Battleground Races, Health Care Lags As Hot-Button Issue, Poll Finds
As the midterm elections approach, health care ranks as the top issue, mentioned more frequently among voters nationwide than among those living in areas with competitive races, a new poll finds. In areas with competitive congressional or gubernatorial races, the economy and jobs ranked as the top issue for candidates to discuss, with 34 percent of registered voters listing it as No. 1, according to the poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Rau, 1/26)
Meanwhile, Democratic polling shows that Republicans were hurt by the health law debate —
Politico Pro: Democratic Polling Shows Obamacare Repeal, Tax Reform Hurt Republicans
Polling conducted by Democratic operatives in 18 GOP-held congressional districts suggests voting to repeal Obamacare or the recently passed tax reform law will damage Republican incumbents' chances at reelection. ...While polling has shown both Obamacare repeal and the tax law to be unpopular, the operatives believe this is the first public experiment to show how attacking members for their support of either piece of legislation could damage GOP chances to hold the House in 2018. (Robillard, 1/25)
