Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: A 'Snapshot' Of The Health Law; 'GOP's Moment' For Replacing Obamacare
Huffington Post: What Obamacare Opponents Get Wrong -- And Right -- About Insurance Premiums
Donald Trump is attacking the Affordable Care Act again. He says health insurance premiums are rising by 35, 45 or even 55 percent in some places. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services tell a very different story. They say premiums for the standard insurance plans are rising by just 7.5 percent on average .... Trump is right, but so is HHS. And therein lies a pretty good snapshot of how the health care law is working out, three years into implementation. Some of the scary-sounding reports are true. But they reveal only a small part of the picture. (Jonathan Cohn, 10/26)
Bloomberg: Obamacare Premiums Aren't Skyrocketing
One of the most persistent arguments against Obamacare has been that the cost of coverage on state exchanges will skyrocket. Figures released Monday by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, listing average 2016 premium increases for the 37 states whose exchanges are run by the federal government, suggest that argument just isn't true. (Christopher Flavelle, 10/26)
The Washington Post's Right Turn: It’s The GOP’s Moment To Offer An Obamacare Alternative
If Obamacare had met its projected enrollment of 20 million (instead of 10 million) or if it had stemmed rising health-care costs (and kept premiums flat), it would be hard for conservatives to advocate repeal based on abstract arguments about compulsion and centralization. Fortunately for Obamacare critics, they have no problem identifying serious deficiencies. (Jennifer Rubin, 10/26)
The New York Times: Is Valeant Pharmaceuticals The Next Enron?
Valeant Pharmaceuticals is a sleazy company. Although it existed as a relatively small company before 2010, it did a deal that year that put it on the map. The deal was with Biovail, one of Canada’s largest drugmakers — and a company that had run afoul of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2008, the S.E.C. sued Biovail for “repeatedly” overstating earnings and “actively” misleading investors. Biovail settled the case for $10 million. ... [Valeant's CEO J. Michael Pearson] didn’t have much patience for research and development. And while he certainly wanted moneymaking drugs, he didn’t really need blockbusters to make his business model work. His plan was to acquire pharmaceutical companies, fire most of their scientists and jack up the price of their drugs. Biovail gave him the heft to put his plan in action. And so he has done, to the delight of Valeant’s shareholders, and the dismay of most everyone else. (Joe Nocera, 10/27)
Reuters: Valeant's Clarification Efforts Further Tangle Web
Valeant Pharmaceuticals further tangled its web. The acquisitive $39 billion company tried on Monday to spell out its ties to drug distributors. Analysts didn’t ask – and a 90-page presentation and call with investors didn’t answer – why it obscured the dealings in the first place. The messy details also only go to confirm some fears about Valeant. At issue most urgently is Philidor Rx Services, a company Valeant says it doesn’t own or control. Even so, Valeant paid $100 million in 2014 for an option to buy the pharmacy for nothing over the next 10 years. Nearly all of Philidor’s sales are of Valeant’s drugs, and Valeant consolidates its financial figures. Valeant also has the right to approve important roles at the firm. (Robert Cyran, 10/26)
The New York Times' Opinionator: Talking Early About How Life Should End
For many years now, my mother has talked to my brother and me — often — about how she wants to die. She is still in good health. But when it happens, we both know that she wants above all to die quickly and without pain. She wants no heroic measures. Because my brother and I know this, and because she has the proper legal documents, she is likely to die as she wishes. My mother is unusual. (Tina Rosenberg, 10/27)
