Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Obamacare Is A 'Boon' To U.S. Economy, Adviser Says
The Hill: White House Scoffs At ObamaCare 'Doomsday Prophecies'
President Obama’s chief economist on Thursday delivered a fierce rebuttal to what he called “nonsensical” claims from conservatives that the Affordable Care Act would be the end of the U.S. economy. “To put it mildly, these doomsday prophecies have not come to pass,” Jason Furman, the chief of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, said Thursday at a panel hosted by the Center for American Progress. (Ferris, 4/2)
Bloomberg: White House's New Claim: Obamacare Helps U.S. Economy Grow
Obamacare is a boon to the U.S. economy, President Barack Obama’s top economic adviser said in a speech aimed at changing the tone of debate over the Affordable Care Act’s effects, though he offered little direct evidence. (Wayne, 4/2)
Fox News: Fox News Poll: More Families Feel Worse Than Better As A Result Of Obamacare
More voters say their family is worse off than better off under ObamaCare. In addition, most of those who had to change their insurance coverage because of the health care law say it cost them money. (Blaton, 4/3)
Meanwhile, in other health law news, Delta Airlines announced that it will offer gay employees assistance with the overhaul's tax for people who don't have coverage -
The Associated Press: Delta Air Lines Helps Gay Employees With Health Care Taxes
Delta Air Lines became the first major carrier Thursday to make same-sex domestic partners whole for additional income taxes they owe for health care plans. Atlanta-based Delta will pay those taxes for employees retroactive to Jan. 1. The tax is only a problem for employees living in states that do not recognize their marriages; Georgia is one of them. Delta executives, pilots, flight attendants and other employees living there have to pay extra tax based on the value of the insurance. (Mayerowitz, 4/3)
And news outlets also report on coordinated care initiatives, accountable care organizations and the Cadillac tax -
California Healthline: If Calif. Ends Coordinated Care Initiative, What Happens To Frail Senior Duals?
The majority of seniors in [Multipurpose Senior Services Program] reside in one of the seven counties participating in the state's duals demonstration project, or Cal MediConnect, which is part of the state's larger Coordinated Care Initiative. Roughly two-thirds of all duals (those dually eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal) live in the seven-county demonstration area. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. For MSSP participants in the duals demonstration project counties -- Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties -- MSSP care is being moved into a Medi-Cal managed care plan. The program would remain the same in MSSP sites outside of the seven-county demonstration project. (Gorn, 4/2)
Georgia Health News: Emory, Aetna Create Latest ACO Care Model
Emory Healthcare and Aetna are teaming up in a collaboration known as an “accountable care organization’’ (ACO), which aims to enhance patient care and reduce costs. ACOs are networks of hospitals and doctors — and sometimes insurers — that arose as a central feature of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. (MIller, 4/2)
Politico Pro: ‘Cadillac Tax’ The Next Big Obamacare Battle
A mix of business groups and labor unions are pushing to tee up the next big Obamacare fight: killing its so-called Cadillac tax. It is, they say, the type of Obamacare “fix” that Republicans and Democrats can agree on — notwithstanding the problem of filling an $87 billion budget hole that nixing the levy would produce. (Faler, 4/2)
