Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Made Surprising Gains In Counties Hit Hardest By COVID
NPR: Many Places Hard Hit By COVID-19 Leaned More Toward Trump In 2020 Than 2016
Support for President Trump increased in 2020 in many of the U.S. counties that lost lives at the highest rate to COVID-19, according to an NPR analysis. Of the 100 counties with the highest COVID-19 death rates per capita, 68 had a higher proportion of votes cast for Trump this cycle than they did in 2016. This includes both Republican-leaning counties and counties that supported Joe Biden. (McMinn and Stein, 11/6)
AP: Counties With Worst Virus Surges Overwhelmingly Voted Trump
U.S. voters went to the polls starkly divided on how they see President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. But in places where the virus is most rampant now, Trump enjoyed enormous support. An Associated Press analysis reveals that in 376 counties with the highest number of new cases per capita, the overwhelming majority — 93% of those counties — went for Trump, a rate above other less severely hit areas. (Johnson, Fingerhut and Deshpande, 11/6)
The Hill: Election Results Underscore Different Views On Coronavirus
Heading into Election Day, Democrats hoped for an overwhelming victory that would serve as a repudiation of President Trump, and with it his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, while Democratic nominee Joe Biden leads the Electoral College and looks like the favorite to get to 270, a victory will not be in such a sweeping fashion. (Sullivan, 11/6)
CNBC: For Doctors Who Think Trump Fumbled The Pandemic, The Tight Election Is Seen As An Insult
In the spring, U.S. medical workers were heralded as heroes. But by the fall, the rhetoric had started to shift, with the public growing increasingly fatigued by the coronavirus pandemic and President Donald Trump accusing doctors of inflating Covid-19 death counts for money. With the death toll from the coronavirus continuing to tick up, many medical workers say they hoped for a landslide victory for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who has said he’ll follow the advice of scientists if he’s wins the presidency. (Farr, 11/6)
With Joe Biden inching toward a projected win, how would he impact health policy? —
Health Affairs: What Biden’s Election Would Mean For The Affordable Care Act
In what otherwise appears to be a status quo election, what does a Biden victory mean for the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? This post attempts only a tentative first pass at an answer. This post is limited to the coverage expansion of the ACA and does not discuss the pandemic response, Medicaid, Medicare, prescription drugs, or other key health care issues affected by a Biden presidency. (Keith, 11/5)
