Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Nobody Knew That Health Care Could Be So Complicated,' Trump Tells Governors
The New York Times: Trump Concedes Health Law Overhaul Is ‘Unbelievably Complex’
President Trump, meeting with the nation’s governors, conceded Monday that he had not been aware of the complexities of health care policy-making: “I have to tell you, it’s an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.” The president also suggested that the struggle to replace the Affordable Care Act was creating a legislative logjam that could delay other parts of his political agenda. (Pear and Kelly, 2/27)
The Associated Press: Trump Warns Health Care System Will 'Implode' Unless Fixed
Trump said at a White House meeting with dozens of governors that he hoped to overhaul the American tax system but that was a "tiny little ant" compared to what he would need to do to remake the so-called Obamacare law. The president's first major meeting with governors comes as Congress prepares to move forward on a repeal and replacement of the health care law, one of Trump's main campaign promises. Governors have raised concerns that the changes could undermine their efforts to expand Medicaid in their states and leave them stuck with a bigger share of the health care tab. (Thomas, 2/27)
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Calls Health Care ‘So Complicated,’ But Vows To Replace Law
Noting the ACA’s increasing popularity, Mr. Trump said, “People hate it, but now they see that the end is coming, they say, ‘Oh, maybe we love it.’ There’s nothing to love, it’s a disaster, folks, OK? So you have to remember that.” The comments came at a pivotal moment in Republicans’ efforts to undo the ACA after seven years of decrying it as a government takeover of health care. (Radnofsky, Mathews Wilde and Hackman, 2/27)
The Hill: Trump: 'Nobody Knew That Healthcare Could Be So Complicated'
Governors have been split on what should be done with ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion, which brought health coverage to many even in deep-red states. Trump didn't publicly address that issue Monday morning, but said ObamaCare's repeal and replacement will give states more flexibility "to make the end result really, really good for them." "We have come up with a solution that's really, really good I think. Very good." (Hellmann, 2/27)
The Hill: After Meeting With Trump, Governors Say He's Crafting His Own ObamaCare Plan
President Trump told governors at a meeting at the White House Monday that his administration will put forward its own ObamaCare replacement plan within a few weeks, according to two governors who attended the meeting. The message came in one of several meetings between the administration, lawmakers and top state officials as Republicans try to find a path forward on ObamaCare, particularly the law’s expansion of Medicaid. Several Republican governors and lawmakers from states that accepted the expansion are looking to protect it, creating a thorny issue for the GOP. (Sullivan, 2/27)
