Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republicans Try To Find 'Positive Vision' On Health Care As 'Repeal And Replace' Battle Cry Becomes Outdated
The Hill: GOP Seeks Health Care Reboot After 2018 Losses
Republicans are looking for a new message and platform to replace their longtime call to repeal and replace ObamaCare, after efforts failed in the last Congress and left them empty-handed in the 2018 midterm elections. Republican strategists concede that Democrats dominated the health care debate heading into Election Day, helping them pick up 40 seats in the House. (Bolton, 1/9)
The Hill: Democrats Demand Answers On Trump Short-Term Insurance Plans
House and Senate Democrats want answers about the Trump administration’s decision to expand the availability of short-term insurance plans that are not required to meet ObamaCare requirements. The letter sent Tuesday is the third time Democratic health care leaders have written to the administration about the short-term plan proposal, but the first time since Democrats took control of the House. (Weixel, 1/8)
The Hill: Dem Chairman Requests CBO Report On Design Of Single-Payer Bill
House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) on Tuesday requested information from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) about single-payer health care proposals, a step forward in consideration of the idea. In a letter to the CBO, Yarmuth requested a report on the “design and policy considerations lawmakers would face in developing single-payer health system proposals.” (Sullivan, 1/8)
The Fiscal Times: Democrats Gear Up For Single-Payer Health Care Push
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said last week that she supports holding hearings on Medicare-for-All legislation, and on Tuesday House Budget Committee chair Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) sent a letter to the Congressional Budget Office requesting a comprehensive analysis of how a single-payer health system would work in the U.S. (Rainey, 1/8)
The New York Times: Background Check Bill Marks Gun Control As A Priority For House Democrats
Emboldened House Democrats, seeking a politically charged debate on gun control, unveiled legislation on Tuesday to expand background checks to nearly all firearms purchases, a move timed to mark the eighth anniversary of the mass shooting in Arizona that nearly killed former Representative Gabrielle Giffords. By introducing the measure less than one week after taking control of the House, Democrats are signaling that it is a top priority. A vote could come within the first 100 days of the new Congress. (Stolberg, 1/8)
