Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Preexisting Conditions And 'Medicare For All' Emerge As Key Health Care Attack Points In Midterms
The Hill: GOP Ad Uses Shark To Hit Dem On 'Government Takeover' Of Health Care
Across the country, Republicans have been attacking Democrats for supporting "Medicare for All," arguing it is too costly and disruptive. Republicans have been trying to counter an onslaught of Democratic attacks over ObamaCare repeal and undermining protections for pre-existing conditions. (Sullivan, 9/25)
The Hill: GOP Senate Candidate Says He Supports Pre-Existing Conditions While Backing Lawsuit To End Them
Missouri GOP Senate candidate Josh Hawley says in a new ad that he supports forcing insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, even as he takes part in a lawsuit that would overturn those protections in ObamaCare. Hawley, Missouri's attorney general, who is running against vulnerable incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D), said in the ad released Monday that his oldest son has a rare chronic disease — a pre-existing condition, he notes. (Hellmann, 9/25)
The Hill: Romney Opposes Utah's Medicaid Expansion Ballot Measure
Utah Senate candidate Mitt Romney (R) said he supports the state’s efforts to partially expand Medicaid, but does not think a full expansion will be viable. In an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune, Romney praised the state’s partial approach, which would use federal money to expand coverage to people earning up to 100 percent of the poverty level. It would also institute a work requirement. (Weixel, 9/25)
And other news on the elections comes out of Massachusetts and California —
Boston Globe: Citing Two Candidates With ‘100 Percent’ Scores, Abortion Rights Group Stays Out Of Race For Governor
The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts’s political arm is taking a noteworthy side in the gubernatorial race — neither. Four years after backing Martha Coakley in her race against now-Governor Charlie Baker, the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund said Tuesday it is remaining neutral in the contest between the Republican and Democrat Jay Gonzalez. (Stout, 9/25)
The New York Times: For Gavin Newsom, A Stealth Run For California Governor
He may seem hesitant to say it, but Gavin Newsom wants your vote for governor of California. Really. Mr. Newsom took the stage to cheers in the hot afternoon sun in Orange County the other day. For 20 minutes, he talked about the Democratic candidates for Congress and the California Legislature. He talked about President Trump. He talked about poverty, homelessness, immigration and global warming. (Nagourney and Arango, 9/26)
