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The potential vote would serve as an intervention in the lawsuit working its way through the courts that could effectively kill the health law. It would also force Republicans to go on record almost immediately against the popular provisions of the ACA, such as protections for preexisting conditions.
Health care was the No. 1 issue among many voters this election, according to a recent survey, and the results seem to speak to the health law's growing popularity in recent years. And with Democrats in control of the House, Republicans will be unable to move forward with any lingering plans for repeal. Meanwhile, ballot measures in several red states and a switch in leadership in Maine could mean that Medicaid could see its biggest boost in enrollment since expansion began. It's not all rosy for the program though: some results could chip away at gains already made in Alaska and Montana.
The mystery is stoking tensions, not only between the U.S. and Cuba, but also internally in Washington as theories continue to be shot down. In other public health news: blood pressure, gut microbiomes, red meat, genetics, aging and more.
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these and other health topics.
Editorial pages focus on the impact the midterm elections will have on the health care.
Each week, KHN's Shefali Luthra finds interesting reads from around the Web.
Media outlets report on news from Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Missouri.
Genetically engineered mice given tetrahydrocannabinol performed better during a brain test than mice that received a placebo, according to a study that also said they lost fewer brain cells and had fewer plaques associated with the disease. Other public health news focuses on a potential new treatment for gonorrhea, the final Agent Orange cleanup, tips for flu season, ZIP codes and life expectancy rates, babies with older fathers, and more.
Few details have been worked out, but one approach is to recommend hospitals to workers where fewer complications and better outcomes occur. In other industry news, the CEO of Kaiser Permanente discusses the quality of care and its costs.
The policy change is much more narrow than a previous proposed rule that is now stuck in the courts, and applies mainly to religious organizations, nonprofits and small businesses. Advocates, however, are already vowing to fight the rule in court.
When Democrats assume the House majority in January, the committees overseeing health care will see a shake up in leadership. But in the Senate, where Republicans will maintain control, the changes will be more modest.
The issue is one that lawmakers from both parties, as well as President Donald Trump, are eager to address. But other health care priorities from the Democrats might be checked by the cushy majority the Republicans hold in the Senate.
Analysts have called a split Congress the best case scenario for the marketplace. “We expect to see legislative deadlock for the next two years, with an uptick in House hearings and political posturing while President Trump continues to push his agenda through executive action and the judiciary,” Leerink analyst Ana Gupte said.
Media outlets across the country offer a look at 2018 races that affected their states.
The gun safety movement was unable to turn the tide in some key races in Florida, but the Parkland students say they are encouraged by how close some of the results were. “Things didn’t necessarily go our way but we know that this is the start, that it’s going to be a long road,” one of the most vocal students, David Hogg, said on Wednesday. “The Florida elections were very close, which is encouraging. For us, the loss in Florida is a call to action.”
Both Alabama and West Virginia voters approved measures that alter the abortion protections in their state constitutions. West Virginia residents also voted to cut off Medicaid funding for abortions and set a jail sentence of three to 10 years for anyone who performs or receives the procedure.
This election delivered wins on more liberal ballot measures even in states where voters elected politicians with deeply conservative views. The dissonance could show a way forward for advocates looking to focus on policy rather than politics. “Americans want everyone to make a living wage and be able to go to the doctor when they got sick," said Jonathan Schleifer, executive director of the Fairness Project. "Ballot initiatives shows there’s an agenda that can bring people together across party lines.”
Approved ballot measures in red states Idaho, Nebraska and Utah were successful in circumventing the states' legislatures, which have blocked Medicaid expansion. Those three states will join Virginia, which approved expansion last spring, and Maine, where voters approved an expansion last year that has been blocked by Republican Gov. Paul LePage. The incoming Democratic governor, Janet Mills, says she will let the measure go forward. In all, nearly 800,000 people could be newly eligible for the program across the five states.
“I think it is very obvious that a Democratic House is not going to be interested in" changes to the health law, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. The battle over health care will likely shift toward "Medicare for all," a plan touted by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, 26 percent of voters said health care was the most important issue for them in deciding their vote, and three out of four voters who listed health care as their top issue voted for Democrats.
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