Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Future Of Health Care Is A Key Debate In Close House Races
Arizona Republic: Steve Ferrara, Greg Stanton Tout Different Health Care Paths In 9th Congressional District
In Arizona's 9th Congressional District, a Republican doctor is running against the Democratic former mayor of Phoenix in a race has been dominated by their disagreements over the future of health care. Steve Ferrara, a doctor who works at the Phoenix VA and the county hospital, wants to adjust the Affordable Care Act by letting states direct Medicaid and moving people with pre-existing conditions into high-risk pools. Greg Stanton, the former Phoenix mayor, wants to protect the Affordable Care Act and work on lowering prescription drug prices. (Leingang, 11/3)
The New York Times: ‘Big-City Rapper’ Vs. Weak On Health Care: How A Tossup Race Captures The Forces Driving The Midterms
The Democrats thought they had the most devastating weapon: a political video showing the Republican incumbent [in New York] hugging a young mother with a brain tumor and a spinal condition, and promising to protect her coverage of pre-existing conditions — only to vote for the Republican bill to repeal Obamacare weeks later. The Republicans, in turn, believed they had the most devastating piece of political tape: the Democratic challenger rapping a decade ago, using expletives and a racial epithet common among black rap artists, as he veered into controversial topics. The question: Which clip will prove more politically potent in America in 2018? (Goldmacher, 11/4)
The Washington Post: AP Fact Check: Ad On Bacon’s Health Care Vote Is Partly True
Democrats hope Kara Eastman will unseat first-term Republican Rep. Don Bacon Tuesday in Nebraska’s most competitive U.S. congressional race, a district centering on the Omaha area where the GOP has reigned for 22 of the last 24 years. Democratic groups and politicians across the country are attacking Republican candidates for their health care record. It’s become a central issue in the campaign, with Republicans saying Eastman’s support for “Medicare for all” is too extreme and costly for taxpayers while Democrats argue Bacon has voted to strip benefits from the Affordable Care Act. (Seitz, 11/2)
And when it comes to candidates and fundraising -
WBUR: Mass. U.S. Reps. Are Big Beneficiaries Of Big Pharma, Data Shows
Members of Congress from Massachusetts are getting some big money from Big Pharma. The state's House delegation ranks among the nation’s leaders in donations received from pharmaceutical companies over the last two years, according to data from Kaiser Health News. (Thompson, 11/2)
