Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Affordable Care Act's Defender: A Look At The Attorney General Leading The Coalition To Protect The Health Law
The Associated Press: California's Top Lawyer Offers Look Inside Trump Offensive
[California Attorney General Xavier] Becerra has been among the most aggressive of the Democratic state attorneys general who have battled Trump in court. Since former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him to the job two years ago, Becerra has taken on the Trump administration in nearly 100 briefs and other legal actions, including 45 lawsuits filed mostly over immigration, the environment and health care and often joined by other attorneys general. He has notched some significant victories, though many of the cases are still pending in court. But his office's operation against the Trump administration — who works on the cases, how much it costs and how the office approaches potential suits — has largely remained opaque. (Thanawala, 1/10)
The Associated Press: A Look At California's Key Lawsuits Against Trump
Becerra sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in October 2017 over rules that allowed more employers to opt out of providing women with no-cost birth control. A judge blocked the rules, and an appeals court in December upheld that decision. The administration has revised the rules, prompting another, ongoing court battle. (1/10)
Politico Pro: Courts Set To Weigh Fate Of Trump Contraception Rule
Federal courts on opposite ends of the country will weigh requests this week to indefinitely delay a Trump administration rule allowing virtually any employer to refuse to cover workers' birth control by citing religious or moral objections. The revised rule, due to take effect on Monday, marks the administration's second attempt to expand a workaround to Obamacare's contraception mandate. (Ollstein, 1/10)
