Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives On The GOP's Next Moves In The Effort To Repeal And Replace The Health Law
The Washington Post: Trumpcare II Predictably Fails
Perhaps the Freedom Caucus believed the resumed talks on health-care reform were “real” and could lead to a new agreement. Alternatively, this may have been a thinly disguised attempt to shift blame to moderate Republicans and escape the ire of Republicans who blame their intransigence for failure of the America Health Care Act. The latter theory got some support when Heritage Action’s Dan Holler went on a tweet storm blaming the Tuesday Group of moderates for shying away from repeal of Obamacare. (Jennifer Rubin, 4/5)
Bloomberg: Groundhog Day, But For Repealing And Replacing Obamacare
The driving force behind this round of negotiations appears to be the same as it’s been since Republicans took charge of the government: A need to shift the blame elsewhere for utterly failing to repeal and replace Obamacare, their solemn vow to voters for seven years now. Even the House Freedom Caucus, which is normally proud of its role in stopping imperfect conservative legislation, may be somewhat skittish about taking responsibility for keeping Obamacare in place. So is every other Republican faction. And, yes, that's true even though the bill they considered is profoundly unpopular and aimed at replacing something that is now polling at nearly 50-percent favorability. (Jonathan Bernstein, 4/5)
Real Clear Health: Health Care Reform On Hold: Now What?
The American Health Care Act (AHCA) was pulled from the House floor before an expected vote and efforts to repeal or reform the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” could be suspended for some time. The future of health care law reform efforts remains uncertain — but confusion is nothing new to Americans navigating the complexities of health care delivery and payment. No matter the outcome last week, Americans were still going to wake up this morning with complicated decisions to make about their health care. As we move forward, continuing to make these difficult decisions, individuals and policymakers will grapple with managing and navigating intricate inter-related health care delivery and payment systems. These policy decisions should be taken seriously as they affect individuals, families, and the health and wealth of our nation. (Robin Gelburd, 4/6)
USA Today: On Health Care, Trump Hopes For The Worst
“Obamacare unfortunately will explode,” Trump said in a later interview, adding that “It’s going to have a very bad year.” Trump predicted that after premiums increase, Americans will blame Democratic leaders for passing the Affordable Care Act in the first place. “I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer because now they own Obamacare,” he said. These preceding passages represent an extraordinary moment in presidential rhetoric. An American president is now actually wishing a program fails — punishing millions of Americans — in order for him to benefit politically. The leader of the Republican Party is wishing misery on the people who voted for him, hoping they will blame the authors of a law he broke his promise to change. (Christian Schneider, 4/5)
The Washington Post: How Americans Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The ACA — Sort Of
Democrats should give credit where credit is due — to President Trump. He has accomplished what they and President Barack Obama could not, namely make the Affordable Care Act popular, if not actually loved. (Jennifer Rubin, 4/5)
The Charlotte Observer: Did You Hear? Obamacare Is Officially Popular
Let’s take a moment from the latest Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act for some breaking news: Obamacare is popular. Actually, it has long been more popular than many people thought, but now it’s official. On Tuesday, Gallup announced that for the first time since it’s been tracking public opinion on the Affordable Care Act, a majority of Americans support the law. (4/5)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Is It Time To Self-Insure?
Health insurance companies have ruined the lives of many policyholders by denying coverage, citing pre-existing conditions or by actually practicing medicine, by wanting to use less costly drugs or treatment methods than the physician has recommended as being prudent. ... Health insurance is a “needless markup” in the health care system. ... The plan exists that can solve our medical delivery problem. It has been in use for many years and works quite well. ... The program is Medicare. (James Baker, 4/5)
Real Clear Policy: Single-Payer Health Care Is Not The Answer
Fellow Canadian F.H. Buckley caused a maelstrom in conservative circles last week when he called on President Trump to advance a single-payer model for U.S. health care. A chorus of conservatives were quick to condemn this marked departure from long-time right-wing orthodoxy. While the critics are correct that single payer is not the answer, Mr. Buckley is nevertheless posing the right question to guide meaningful and durable health-care reform. (Sean Speer, 4/6)
