Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Flexibility At Core Of Republicans' Latest Repeal-And-Replace Efforts
The New York Times: How The Latest Obamacare Repeal Plan Would Work
The latest Republican proposal to undo the Affordable Care Act would grant states much greater flexibility and all but guarantee much greater uncertainty for tens of millions of people. The legislation, proposed by two Senate Republicans, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, would not only reduce the amount of federal funding for coverage over the next decade, but also give states wide latitude to determine whom to cover and how. The result is a law that would be as disruptive as many of the Republicans’ previous proposals, but whose precise impact is the hardest to predict. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 9/20)
NPR: Republicans Try One Last Effort To Repeal Obamacare
Graham-Cassidy essentially deconstructs all of the major programs created by the Affordable Care Act, gathers up the money and hands it over to states to run their own health care programs. It gets rid of both the subsidies that help people buy individual health insurance policies and the reimbursements to insurance companies for offering price breaks on copayments and deductibles to the lowest-income customers. It rolls back the Obamacare Medicaid expansion that was adopted by 31 states and Washington, D.C., and it eliminates the Basic Health Program that was created under the ACA and implemented in New York and Minnesota. (Kodjak, 9/19)
Stat: Abortion Coverage Would Be Restricted Under New GOP Health Care Plan
The GOP health care overhaul barreling toward a possible Senate vote this month would restrict abortion coverage for some people as early as next year. Most of the major changes included in the package, from Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, wouldn’t take effect until 2020. That’s when the legislation would end the subsidies currently available to consumers who don’t get their health insurance through their job or a government program. It’s also when the legislation would overhaul — and cut — government contributions to state Medicaid programs. (Mershon, 9/20)
WBUR: Unpacking Graham-Cassidy: The Latest GOP Health Care Bill
Graham-Cassidy, the GOP’s health care Hail Mary to repeal Obamacare. We’ll dive into the bill and look at the high stakes -- for the politicians and for you. (Clayson, 9/21)
PBS NewsHour: What You Need To Know About The GOP's Graham-Cassidy Health Care Bill
The new health care bill, sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Bill Cassidy, would bring sweeping changes to the current system. Lisa Desjardins and Sarah Kliff of Vox join John Yang to explain the policy and politics behind the bill. (Yang, 9/20)
Columbus Dispatch: Portman, A Key Senate Vote, Trying To Get Drug Treatment Money In GOP Bill
Sen. Rob Portman has privately urged Senate Republican leaders to include billions of federal dollars to treat opioid addiction as part of a controversial health-care bill that could reach the Senate floor next week. (Torry, 9/20)
Kaiser Health News: Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Zombie Repeal-And-Replace Bill Rises Again
Republican efforts to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act are back, in a big way. And the “What the Health?” podcast is focused on Capitol Hill’s debate on the new bill by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.). (9/20)
