Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Repeal-And-Replace Votes Haunt Republican Congressional Candidates In Swing Districts
Kaiser Health News: In Swing Districts, Republicans May Pay For Having Tried To Reverse The Health Law
Not long ago many voters knew little about Tom MacArthur. A low-key moderate Republican congressman in a district that twice went for Barack Obama, he burnished his reputation as the guy who worked with Democrats to help rebuild in the years after Hurricane Sandy. Now, as he wages a bitter fight for re-election to a seat he won by 20 percentage points just two years ago, even some of his supporters have turned virulently against him. The reason? His new reputation as the turncoat whose legislation almost repealed the Affordable Care Act. (Huetteman, 10/31)
California Healthline: From A Negative To A Positive: Dems Use Health Care To Hammer GOP In Ads
In 2014, Republican congressman Jeff Denham was all about axing the Affordable Care Act. He vowed in a campaign ad that aired before that year’s midterm election to “repeal and replace Obamacare so families aren’t forced to pay higher premiums for reduced care.” Four years later, Denham isn’t talking about the ACA. But his Democratic opponent is — quite a bit. (Ibarra, 10/31)
The Associated Press: Family History Leads Kentucky Candidates To Different Places
Now [Andy] Barr and [Amy] McGrath are running for Congress against each other in Kentucky in one of the most competitive and expensive races in the country. But their families' struggles with insurance companies has led them to different places. Whoever wins could help determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term and shape health policy for millions of Americans. "It's the No. 1 issue," said McGrath, a Democrat and retired Marine fighter pilot. "People are worried." (Beam, 10/30)
Here's the latest on two key Senate races -
The Washington Post: Florida’s Senate Race Was Rick Scott’s To Lose, But He Is Haunted By His Environmental Record
In a race that many thought was [Gov. Rick] Scott’s to lose, polls show his opponent, [Sen. Bill] Nelson could retain his seat. The governor is being taunted as “Red Tide Rick,” and some Floridians have made him the butt of jokes on social media, contrasting the state’s beautiful beaches with the dead fish littering its shores. Scott is haunted by a perception among many voters, conservative and liberal, that his environmental policies made a natural disaster worse. In his first term, the state cut hundreds of millions of dollars from agencies that manage fresh water, laid off hundreds of workers in the environmental protection department, squashed a deal to buy land from sugar farms that pollute water and killed an attempt to increase inspections of septic tanks that soil water and contribute to the algae problem. (Fears and Rozsa, 10/30)
The Associated Press: Indiana Senate Candidates Spar Over Abortion Stances
Sen. Joe Donnelly, Indiana’s lone statewide Democrat, was propelled into office six years ago after his opponent’s incendiary comments about abortion and rape during a disastrous debate appearance tanked his candidacy. On a similar stage Tuesday night, Donnelly’s Republican challenger Mike Braun appeared determined to avoid the same fate, despite a full-throated attack from the Democrat, who tried to force the issue. (Slodysko, 10/31)
And Axios takes voters' temperatures on how the idea of Medicare-for-all is playing -
Axios: Exclusive Poll: What Voters Want From “Medicare For All”
Voters like some form of “Medicare for All” but are divided over what it should look like, according to our latest Axios/SurveyMonkey poll — which is about the same situation Democratic candidates are in. (Baker, 10/31)
