Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Tells Voters Preexisting Condition Protections Are Safe Even As His Administration Works To Get Rid Of Them
The Associated Press Fact Check: Trump's Falsehoods On Health Plan Protections
President Donald Trump isn't playing it straight when it comes to his campaign pledge not to undercut health coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions. Five weeks before midterm elections, he is telling voters that those provisions "are safe," even as his Justice Department is arguing in court that those protections in the Affordable Care Act should fall. The short-term health plans Trump often promotes as a bargain alternative to "Obamacare" offer no guarantee of covering pre-existing conditions. (Yen and Woodward, 10/1)
Houston Chronicle: Voters Worried About Pre-Existing Condition Protection
Voters in west Houston's hotly contested Congressional race say taking away protections for pre-existing medical conditions -- or even just appearing to do so -- could spell doom for a candidate, a new survey finds. A poll of 562 voters in the district represented by Republican John Culberson found that 46 percent were less likely to vote for him because of his staunch support of efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. (Deam, 9/28)
Meanwhile, employers are getting more involved in health care coverage —
The Associated Press: Employers Jump Into Providing Care As Health Costs Rise
Autoworkers in this blue-collar, central Indiana city have an eager helper waiting to pick up the bill at their next doctor visit. Fiat Chrysler is offering free health care for most of its employees and their families — about 22,000 people — through a clinic the carmaker opened this summer near one of five factories it operates in the area. The company pays for basic care like doctor visits and consults with a dietitian and even an exercise physiologist. Workers don’t pay a cent, not even a co-pay. (Murphy, 9/30)
