Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
States Who Win Under Graham-Cassidy Win Big, While The Losers Get Walloped
The Washington Post: Federal Estimate Shows Big Win-Loss Gap Among States Under Cassidy-Graham Bill
An internal analysis by the Trump administration concludes that 31 states would lose federal money for health coverage under Senate Republicans’ latest effort to abolish much of the Affordable Care Act, with the politically critical state of Alaska facing a 38 percent cut in 2026. The report, produced by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, focuses on the final year of a block grant that states would receive under the Cassidy-Graham legislation. It shows that government funding for such health insurance would be 9 percent lower overall in 2026 under the plan than under current law. (Goldstein and Eilperin, 9/22)
NPR: Latest Senate Health Bill Would Cut Funds To Blue States
Senate Republicans' latest plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system ends with a massive shift of federal money from states that expanded Medicaid — and are largely dominated by Democrats — to those that refused to expand. Several analyses of the bill show the pattern. (Kodjak, 9/21)
The Hill: Which States Could Win And Lose From The New ObamaCare Repeal Bill
The ObamaCare repeal bill set for a possible vote next week in the Senate would create winners and losers among the 50 states that would be asked to implement their own health-care plans with block grants of federal funding. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (La.), ends federal funding for ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion and the subsidies that help people afford coverage, as well as the law’s insurance mandate. (Hellmann and Weixel, 9/21)
Modern Healthcare: GOP Senators In Quandary Over Graham-Cassidy Bill's Projected Cuts To Their States
Big cuts in funding to states for coverage subsidies, Medicaid expansion and traditional Medicaid under the latest Senate Republican bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act have created a political migraine for GOP senators, as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pushes for a vote on the bill next Wednesday. (Meyer, 9/21)
Bloomberg: Obamacare States May Lose $180 Billion Under Senate Bill
States that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare would be hard-hit by spending cuts called for in Republican senators’ latest bill to repeal and replace the health law, while states that didn’t expand the program stand to benefit. The thirty-two states that increased their Medicaid coverage for low-income people would lose $180 billion in federal funding, but states that didn’t would gain $73 billion from 2020 to 2026, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The state-by-state breakdown covers a wide range, with New York at one extreme seeing a cut of 35 percent and Mississippi at the other with a 148 percent boost. (9/21)
A look at individual states' fortunes —
California Healthline: A Nail-Biter: California Nervously Awaits U.S. Senate’s Verdict On Obamacare
Congressional Republicans are giving repeal of Obama’s signature health law one more try. They have until the end of the month to garner enough votes to pass the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill, which would fundamentally change how health care is funded nationwide. Its effects would be especially far-reaching in California and other states that bought heavily into the Affordable Care Act. (9/21)
The Star Tribune: Latest Health Bill In Senate Could End Up Costing Minn. Billions
Minnesota stands to lose billions of dollars in federal funding if Senate Republicans are successful next week in their latest bid to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. ... But many Minnesota health officials counter that it endangers care of seniors and people with disabilities and would lead to even more costly premiums in the individual market. (Howatt and Brooks, 9/22)
Columbus Dispatch: Analyses Differ On Stakes For Ohio With GOP Obamacare Replacement
Contradicting a study released Wednesday that indicated Ohio would emerge as a major financial loser if the Senate approves a new GOP health-care bill, the Kaiser Family Foundation released an analysis Thursday saying Ohio’s loss would be much smaller. Kaiser, a nonprofit organization in Washington that analyzes health issues, concluded that if the bill co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana becomes law, Ohio probably would lose $610 million in federal dollars from 2020 through 2026, compared with projections under Obamacare. (Torry, 9/22)
Dallas Morning News: What The Latest GOP Health Care Plan Could Mean For Texans
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has said that the Graham-Cassidy measure doesn’t do enough to lower premiums, but that it "continues to make positive progress." The Graham-Cassidy proposal would go much further than the Senate GOP’s failed skinny repeal measure. (Leslie, 9/21)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: How Would The Senate's Latest Obamacare Repeal Plan Affect Ohio?
Ohio stands to lose billions of dollars in federal money that it got for expanding Medicaid if a new Obamacare repeal proposal being pushed in the U.S. Senate becomes law. Congressional Republicans are taking another stab at fulfilling their longtime campaign promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a plan put forth last week -- which could be hurried to a vote without customary hearings by next week. (Eaton, 9/21)
