Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Warren Continues To Take Flak Over Her Support For 'Medicare For All' As Plan's Popularity Dips In Polls
The New York Times: Joe Biden Ramps Up Attacks On Elizabeth Warren’s ‘Credibility’
A day after their fiercest debate-stage confrontation to date, Joseph R. Biden Jr. escalated his criticism of his most formidable rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, suggesting that she was not being forthright about the costs of her far-reaching policy proposals and questioning her “credibility.” Mr. Biden zeroed in on Ms. Warren’s refusal to say if she would raise taxes on middle-class Americans to pay for “Medicare for all,” a single-payer health care system that would all but eliminate private health insurance. (Glueck, 10/16)
The Washington Post: Democrats Target Warren As Liberals And Moderates Seek Advantage In Presidential Race
Warren (Mass.) is entering a crucial phase of her campaign, taking attacks from all sides for the first time since she ascended in popularity, and attempting to demonstrate she can withstand the kind of scrutiny that previously fell mostly on Biden, who until recently held an unchallenged lead in the polls. Yet as she attempts to coalesce support on the party’s left flank, Warren faces a renewed challenge from liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whose debate appearance helped alleviate questions about his health and whose new endorsements and deep bank account have made clear he has no intention of leaving the race. (Viser, 10/16)
The Hill: Warren Faces Tougher Sell With 'Medicare For All'
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) main health care proposal is losing support in the polls, posing a challenge to the emerging front-runner as “Medicare for All” comes under fresh attacks from fellow presidential candidates, hospitals, doctors and insurers. Opposition to Medicare for All was on full display at Tuesday night’s Democratic primary debate, where moderate candidates called the plan a “pipe dream” and an “obliteration” of the private health insurance system. (Hellmann, 10/17)
Bloomberg: Warren Left $30 Trillion Short Of Paying For Her Health Plan
Elizabeth Warren took a lot of flak at this week’s Democratic presidential debate for being evasive about the taxes needed to pay for the $30 trillion Medicare for All plan she champions. There’s a reason for being vague: Her team hasn’t yet figured out how to pay for it. “Her taxes as they currently exist are not enough yet to cover fully replacing health insurance,” University of California, Berkeley economics professor Emmanuel Saez, who advised the Warren campaign when developing the wealth tax, told Bloomberg News on Wednesday. (Davison and Egkolfopoulou, 10/17)
Politico: Buttigieg Backed Medicare For All In 2018 Tweet
Pete Buttigieg has spent recent Democratic presidential debates sparring with Medicare for All proponents, but the South Bend, Ind., mayor backed the concept in a 2018 tweet that resurfaced Wednesday. The February 18, 2018 message came as part of an exchange with other Twitter users pushing Democratic politicians to support the sweeping health care plan. (Strauss, 10/16)
The Hill: Buttigieg Tweeted Support For 'Medicare For All' In 2018
"I, Pete Buttigieg, politician, do henceforth and forthwith declare, most affirmatively and indubitably, unto the ages, that I do favor Medicare for All, as I do favor any measure that would help get all Americans covered," Buttigieg wrote in the 2018 tweet, which came in response to a question doubting whether he really supported the proposal for single-payer health insurance. (Sullivan, 10/16)
Kaiser Health News/Politifact: Refereeing Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren On Public Support For ‘Medicare For All’
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., sparred with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at the most recent Democratic presidential primary debate over how to expand health insurance coverage for all Americans. Buttigieg said he favors allowing Americans younger than 65 to enroll in Medicare if they wish. Warren, by contrast, prefers to transition all Americans from their current insurance plan to government coverage. (Jacobson, 10/16)
Modern Healthcare: Expanding ACA Could Hike Coverage With Lower Costs Than Single-Payer
As the presidential candidates spar over health reform proposals, a new analysis of eight different Democratic reform models found they would cover from 11 million to 35 million more Americans while costing the federal government from $590 billion to $34 trillion over 10 years. Urban Institute researchers examined models ranging from a modest enhancement of Affordable Care Act coverage to a government single-payer system covering all U.S. residents, including additional benefits such as dental and long-term care and requiring no patient cost-sharing. (Meyer, 10/16)
WBUR: Methodology: How We Calculated The Tax Rates For Our Medicare For All Examples
Experts offer widely different estimates for the cost of Medicare for All. So for our analysis, we used a range of tax rates — 11.5%, 15% and 18% — to calculate what health care might cost our four Massachusetts individuals and families if the Unites States transitions to a single-payer system. (Bebinger, 10/17)
And in other news on election politics —
The New York Times: Republicans, Defiant After Debate, Throw Punches On Impeachment And Economy
President Trump and his allies sought to turn the Democratic debate on Tuesday night into a referendum on the congressional impeachment inquiry, accusing the party’s presidential candidates and its leaders in Washington of pursuing a vendetta against Mr. Trump while ignoring more pressing pocketbook issues. But Republicans also saw an opportunity to seize on debate moments over middle-class tax increases, health care reform and economic inequality to portray the Democrats as tax-and-spend liberals — in hopes of redirecting the national conversation at a time when public opinion is moving against the president. (Peters, 10/16)
The New York Times: Democrats Fear Impeachment Is Blurring Their ‘Kitchen Table’ Focus
The impeachment inquiry that has imperiled President Trump and captured the attention of a divided nation is now threatening to overshadow House Democrats’ attempts to show that they can govern, posing a political dilemma that deepens as the investigation marches on. Democrats returned to Washington this week determined to spotlight the popular domestic initiatives, like lowering the cost of prescription drugs and education, that helped to sweep them into the majority last year. (Stolberg, 10/16)
The Hill: Schumer Seeks Focus On Health Care Amid Impeachment Fever
Senate Democrats plan to force vulnerable Republicans to vote on legislation that would overturn a controversial Trump administration directive on ObamaCare. The strategy shows Democrats will continue playing offense on ObamaCare, which for years was a political liability for the party. The 2010 law was by and large unpopular until the GOP nearly eradicated it during the last Congress. (Bolton, 10/16)
