Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republicans Are Quietly Working To Undermine Key Parts Of Obamacare
The Washington Post: Shhh. Republicans Are Trying To Repeal Obamacare Again. Sort Of
Congressional Republicans are pursuing changes to the Affordable Care Act that would mean 10.7 million fewer Americans using its insurance marketplaces and Medicaid, a huge reduction that some view as a way to accomplish part of the health-care coverage cancellation that failed in 2017. They’re not branding it a repeal of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law this time around, and this year’s effort wouldn’t erase its marketplaces or Medicaid expansion. (Winfield Cunningham, 6/2)
NBC News: Republicans Face New Pressure To Extend Expiring Obamacare Tax Credits
A new coalition called Keep Americans Covered is seeking to dial up pressure on lawmakers to continue the funding, launching a new ad in a seven-figure campaign. It features a woman named Jessica, a restaurant manager in Arizona whose daughter has a chronic illness. She says the ACA tax credits “have been particularly helpful for our family” to help afford the coverage they need. “We need Congress to take action now. It’s vital for us,” she says in the ad. “We need these health care tax credits passed today.” (Kapur, 6/2)
On Medicaid —
Politico: White House Insists Medicaid Policy Won’t Cut People Who Deserve It
The White House plans to confront resistance to Medicaid cuts from Senate Republicans by arguing that any reductions in coverage would only affect people who didn’t deserve it in the first place. A strong bloc of Republicans in the Senate has signaled that they are uncomfortable with Medicaid reductions in the sweeping tax-and-spending bill enacted last month by the House. President Donald Trump’s advisers are determined to confront those concerns by claiming that cuts would chiefly target undocumented immigrants and able-bodied people who should not be on Medicaid. (Cancryn and Traylor, 6/2)
The Hill: Democratic Lawmakers Dispute Russ Vought's Medicaid Claims
Democratic lawmakers are admonishing President Trump’s budget chief for claiming the GOP’s mega-bill will not cause anyone to lose Medicaid benefits, contradicting independent assessments that war billions could lose coverage if it becomes law. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday’s episode of “State of the Union” that concerns over the Trump administration’s domestic policy package are “ridiculous.” (O’Connell-Domenech, 6/2)
Also —
Fierce Healthcare: CMS Deputy Stephanie Carlton Lays Out Agency Priorities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is prioritizing the acceleration of technology under President Donald Trump, according to the agency’s new deputy administrator and chief of staff Stephanie Carlton.Carlton, a Trump appointee, spoke at the Association of Health Care Journalists’ annual conference last week in Los Angeles. She was previously acting administrator of the CMS. (Gliadkovskaya, 6/2)
North Carolina Health News: Healthy Opportunities Pilot Told To Prepare For Program To Shutter
The Healthy Opportunities Pilot, a Medicaid program that addressed the nonmedical health needs of low-income North Carolinians, will cease operations July 1, according to an announcement obtained by NC Health News. The first-in-the-nation effort that has drawn national attention and praise was launched in 2022 and has provided assistance to nearly 30,000 people across three largely rural regions of the state. Beneficiaries received deliveries of food, rides to doctor’s appointments and other services designed to combat the social, economic and geographic factors that keep people on Medicaid from getting and staying healthy. (Baxley, Hoban and Vitaglione, 6/3)
