Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Reverberations Of Republicans' Health Bill Felt In States
San Francisco Chronicle: Senate Health Care Bill Called ‘Devastating’ To California
Senate Republicans’ health care bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, released Thursday, would lead to millions of Californians losing health coverage, paying more for insurance or seeing their benefits scaled back, according to health policy experts. The measure would impose steep cuts in the Medi-Cal insurance program that provides benefits to 14 million Californians — nearly a third of the state’s population. (Ho, 6/22)
Houston Chronicle: Senate Version Of Health-Care Law Gets Mixed Reviews In Texas
The U.S. Senate's health care plan garnered mixed reviews in Texas on Thursday. Some applauded its sweep, others offered tepid support, and still others voiced outright disgust as they accused the bill of balancing tax cuts on the backs of the state's most vulnerable. The 142-page "discussion draft," titled the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 and authored in secret by Senate Republicans, in essence repeats much of the U.S. House bill that narrowly passed last month. (Deam, 6/22)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Senate Releases Healthcare Bill, And Critics Mobilize Against It
Senate Republicans Thursday released their plain to repeal and replace Obamacare, aiming to reduce government-paid healthcare benefits, give more power to states and cut taxes for some people. The Senate Republican blueprint would restrict using tax credits, or subsidies, for insurance that covers abortions except in the case of rape or incest, and bar states for one year from using Medicaid money to pay Planned Parenthood. (Koff, 6/22)
The Baltimore Sun: Hogan Joins Swift Backlash Over Senate GOP's Bill To Overhaul Obamacare
Legislation unveiled by Senate Republican leaders to dismantle President Barack Obama's health care law ran into swift internal opposition Thursday, throwing into doubt the GOP's ability to make good on a years-long campaign promise to roll back the program. Hours after the bill was made public, four conservative senators announced their opposition, saying the measure doesn't go far enough to unwind Obamacare. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, meanwhile, joined a chorus of centrist Republicans who are concerned about how the legislation would affect their states. (Fritze and McDaniels, 6/22)
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Northam Denounces Senate GOP Health Care Bill; Gillespie Says He'll Review Effect On Va.
Senate Republicans’ release of their health care proposal highlighted what is likely to be a key issue in the race for governor, especially if Congress and President Donald Trump sign off on legislation giving states more latitude to set their own approach. Ed Gillespie, the GOP nominee for governor, said in a statement that he looks forward to “thoroughly reviewing” the proposal’s effect on Virginia. (Cain, 6/22)
Georgia Health News: Senate Health Care Bill Debuts In Uncertain Environment
Georgia political leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, have expressed concern about that conversion, if the federal spending is pegged to the states’ per-enrollee spending. With Georgia ranking 45th among states in Medicaid spending per enrollee, a capped structure would create a disadvantage by locking Georgia in at its historically low spending rate, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute pointed out in a new study. (Miller, 6/22)
WBUR: Local Reactions To The Senate Health Care Bill
For weeks, the Senate has been working on a secret health care bill. As of Thursday, the secret's out. (O'Keefe and Chakrabarti, 6/22)
KCUR: Kansas Health Advocates Criticize Roberts For Support Of Senate Bill
Kansas U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts is not enthusiastic about the Senate’s version of the Obamacare replacement bill. Nevertheless, he supports it. “This is not the best possible bill, it’s the best bill possible under very difficult circumstances. So, you don’t have any other alternative, I don’t think,” Roberts told reporters minutes after leaving a Thursday morning meeting where the bill, which was drafted in relative secrecy, was explained to Republican senators. (Mclean and Wingerter, 6/22)
Kansas City Star: Protestors Arrested As Senate Republicans Unveil Bill With Deeper Medicaid Cuts
As U.S. Senate Republicans were unveiling their Affordable Care Act replacement plan Thursday, Lawrence resident Mike Oxford was lying on the floor of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. Oxford has limited mobility because of a lower-back injury and neurological impairments and is the executive director of the Topeka Independent Living Center. (Marso, 6/22)
Health News Florida: Protests Ahead Of Major Health Care Bill Debut
Senate Republicans have not revealed details of their plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, but that didn’t stop a group of protesters from gathering on Wednesday at Sen. Marco Rubio’s Orlando office... The group of around 20 protesters outside of Rubio’s office said the American Health Care Act would help the rich, while taking away health care insurance for millions Americans. (Ninno, 6/22)
