Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sanders Raises The Stakes On His 'Medicare For All' Plan By Including Expansion For Long-Term Care
The Associated Press: Sanders' 'Medicare For All' Expands Long-Term Care Benefits
Sen. Bernie Sanders is raising the stakes of the "Medicare for All" debate by expanding his proposal to include long-term care, a move that is forcing other Democratic presidential candidates to take a stand on addressing one of the biggest gaps in the U.S. health care system. Medicare for All is unlikely to advance in the GOP-controlled Senate, but it's a defining issue in the early days of the Democratic primary and candidates have pointed to their support of Sanders' legislation as proof of their progressive bona fides. (3/8)
CQ: Democrats' Budget May Avoid Internal Health Care Fight
House Democrats appear unlikely to call in this year’s budget resolution for universal health care coverage through a “Medicare-for-all” system, although the Budget Committee chairman acknowledged it could be hard for Democrats to adopt a budget without including some progressive goals. Instead, the budget resolution is likely to call on committees to advance policies that would build upon the 2010 health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152) and allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, according to Budget Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky. (McIntire, 3/8)
The New York Times: Bernie Sanders-Style Politics Are Defining 2020 Race, Unnerving Moderates
The sharp left turn in the Democratic Party and the rise of progressive presidential candidates are unnerving moderate Democrats who increasingly fear that the party could fritter away its chances of beating President Trump in 2020 by careening over a liberal cliff. Two months into the presidential campaign, the leading Democratic contenders have largely broken with consensus-driven politics and embraced leftist ideas on health care, taxes, the environment and Middle East policy that would fundamentally alter the economy, elements of foreign policy and ultimately remake American life. (Martin and Ember, 3/9)
