Speculation Starts To Build Around Clinton’s Potential Choices For Top Health Jobs

Modern Healthcare: They're With Her? These Are Likely Picks For Health Posts In A Clinton White House 
If Hillary Clinton wins the presidency Nov. 8, she will quickly name people to top health policy positions who are diverse in gender, race, and ethnicity, have sharp political and administrative skills, and can work in a bipartisan way, Democratic political insiders say. Some names floated as likely contenders for HHS Secretary, CMS administrator and other posts include former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Neera Tanden, Chris Jennings, Ann O'Leary, Dr. Atul Gawande, and Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey. While some hope Sylvia Mathews Burwell will continue on as secretary, that's seen as unlikely. (Meyer, 10/18)

Reuters: How Trump, Clinton Would Fix The 'Crazy' U.S. Health System
When former President Bill Clinton called parts of Obamacare "crazy," he put his wife Hillary Clinton on the defensive and gave much-needed ammunition to her Republican rival for the presidency, Donald Trump, who wants to scrap it. ... Still, Clinton's comments may not have been so crazy. He put a spotlight on an uncomfortable truth: after six years, billions of dollars and a sweeping reform that stands as Obama's single biggest domestic policy achievement, health care is still unaffordable for many Americans. (Humer and Stephenson, 10/18)

Modern Healthcare: Trump's Plan For Fighting Drug Abuse Raises Fears Of A War On Drugs 2.0 
Public health experts say Donald Trump's plan to curb opioid addiction sounds like a throwback to the war on drugs that some say resulted in mass incarceration instead of treatment. The Republican presidential nominee unveiled several initiatives during a speech in New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Among the ideas is increasing mandatory minimum prison sentences for serious drug offenders. Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, has instituted similar policies in his state. Experts say the idea has not worked there and instead has disproportionately incarcerated minorities. (Johnson, 10/18)

CNN: WikiLeaks Hack Brings Medicare And Social Security Debate To The Forefront
A closed-door speech to Morgan Stanley in 2013, revealed in hacked emails posted by WikiLeaks, could stoke new questions for Hillary Clinton Wednesday night about whether she truly believes in the fiscal sustainability of the promises she is making on the campaign trail. In the speech, Clinton referred to the 2010 Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction plan as "the right framework," a stance that is seemingly at odds with her 2016 platform. Throughout the year, Clinton has been decidedly to the left of Simpson-Bowles, which called for a series of changes, including raising the Social Security retirement age from 67 to 69, cutting the growth of future benefits and considering a change in the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 if health care costs grow faster than expected. (Davis, 10/18)

In other 2016 election news from the states —

Los Angeles Times: Bucking His Detractors, The Controversial Leader Of An L.A. AIDS Nonprofit Sets His Sights On The National Political Stage
In a state as expensive as California, and during a political year as crowded as 2016, most organizations would struggle to sponsor just one ballot measure. Fighting on two fronts is often reserved for the most formidable interest groups. But that’s just what the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation is doing this year. (Mai-Duc and Panzar, 10/19)