On The Election Eve, Concern About Protections For Preexisting Conditions Remains A Hot Topic On The Campaign Trail
Democrats are hammering congressional Republicans who supported upending the Affordable Care Act, which guaranteed that people with medical problems could get coverage. GOP candidates and President Donald Trump vow that they would not take that away from patients, but they have not offered any plan.
The Hill:
Republicans Put In Bind Over Preexisting Conditions
New actions from the Trump administration are complicating efforts of vulnerable Republicans to show their support for pre-existing condition protections heading into Tuesday's midterm elections. The Trump administration moved last week to allow states to waive certain ObamaCare requirements and pursue conservative health policies that were previously not allowed under the Obama administration. (Weixel, 11/3)
The Washington Post:
In Final Pitch To Suburban Voters, It’s GOP Talk On Economy Vs. Democrats On Health Care
Republicans are entering the final days of the campaign with a message they hope will win over wavering suburban voters — the economy is booming, don’t let Democrats ruin it — while echoing President Trump in stoking fears about undocumented immigrants to try to rile the GOP base. Democrats are focused on female and independent voters angry with Trump, minorities and young people, hoping that coalition will turn out for the midterms and propel them to victory. The party has been especially focused on health care, warning that Republicans threaten a core provision of the Affordable Care Act — the protection for Americans with preexisting medical conditions. (DeBonis, 11/4)
Roll Call:
GOP Candidates Are Hearing It From Constituents With Pre-Existing Conditions
Republicans have tried to contain the damage of their “repeal and replace” push as they defend their majorities in the midterm elections. In order to pull that off, the campaigns have had to find ways to discredit the sympathetic voices of people with complex medical needs who opposed their votes. These health care advocates include people who got engaged in advocacy for the first time because of Republicans’ attempts to dismantle the law. They are patients with serious health conditions who are covered through the law’s marketplaces and patients who rely on Medicaid. They worry that without the law they could go into bankruptcy or go without care. (Kopp, 11/2)
Los Angeles Times:
The Pitched Election Battle Over Healthcare Is Personal For Many Southland Voters
A few short years ago, Kim Adams couldn’t have told you the name of her representative in Congress. That changed last year, when Republican Rep. Mimi Walters voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act as Adams watched live on C-Span from her home in Tustin. News cameras showed a smiling Walters taking a celebratory selfie in the White House rose garden after the vote on the Obama-era healthcare law. That, Adams said, made things personal. After she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, Adams lost her small business as her health deteriorated and she eventually got to a point where she could no longer afford her health insurance premiums. For three years, the single mother was uninsured and unable to get treated for her MS — until the Affordable Care Act kicked in. And her congresswoman had voted to take it away. (Kim, 11/4)
The Hill:
GOP Senator: Dems Pushing 'False Narrative' On Pre-Existing Conditions
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday accused Democrats of spreading a "false narrative" that Republicans want to take away health-care protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, even though the GOP has repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. "It’s a false narrative for Democrats to come in and say if you elect Republicans we’re going to take that away. We’re doing everything we can … to make sure we protect pre-existing conditions," Tillis, the vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said on "Fox News Sunday." (Samuels, 11/4)
