Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Major Cities Sue Trump Claiming President Is Failing To Uphold His Constitutional Duty To Enforce Health Law
Reuters: Four U.S. Cities Sue Over Trump 'Sabotage' Of Obamacare
Four major U.S. cities filed a lawsuit on Thursday contending that President Donald Trump's administration is unconstitutionally seeking to undermine Obamacare by failing to faithfully execute the healthcare law. The complaint in federal court in Baltimore, filed by the cities of Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, alleged that the Republican president is "waging a relentless campaign to sabotage and, ultimately, to nullify the law." (Raymond, 8/2)
Modern Healthcare: Four Cities Sue Trump Administration Over ACA Rollback
Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, joined liberal advocacy groups in the suit, filed in a U.S. District Court in Maryland, alleging that President Donald Trump and his administration "are deliberately trying to make the (ACA) fail." They maintain that these efforts will drain city budgets and resources to manage public health as coverage rates are predicted to drop. The cities said the Trump administration actions have led to a greater burden on their community health centers and ambulance systems, plus they're increasing the overall costs of a sicker population. The complaint alleged the moves have led to a "slow trend upward" of the uninsured rate—which dipped to an all-time low of 9.1% in 2015. (Luthi, 8/2)
The Hill: Four Cities Sue Trump Saying ObamaCare 'Sabotage' Violates Constitution
The lawsuit cites Trump’s own words against ObamaCare. “President Trump and his Administration have been remarkably transparent about their intent and their approach,” it states. It cites Trump statements like “we are getting rid of ObamaCare,” and “essentially, we have gotten rid of it” to argue that Trump has sabotaged the law. The communities could face a difficult task in winning their case, however. (Sullivan, 8/2)
Chicago Sun Times: Chicago Joins Lawsuit Accusing Trump Of 'Sabotaging' Obamacare
Fresh from victory in the battle over federal funding to sanctuary cities, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday opened yet another legal front in his long-running war against President Donald Trump. Chicago joined Baltimore, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio and the the non-profit known as “Democracy Forward” in filing a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of “intentionally and unlawfully sabotaging” the Affordable Care Act. (Spielman, 8/2)
