Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What Happens Next?: How To Move Forward On Fixing The Nation's Health Care
The New York Times: How To Build On Obamacare
“Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.” So declared Donald Trump three weeks before wimping out on his promise to repeal Obamacare. Up next: “Nobody knew that tax reform could be so complicated.” Then, perhaps: “Nobody knew that international trade policy could be so complicated.” And so on. (Paul Krugman, 3/27)
USA Today: Here's The Bipartisan Path Forward On Health Care: Andy Slavitt
The failure of Trumpcare last week can be seen as a rejection of policies that Americans judged would move the country backwards. But it also presents the opportunity to end the divisiveness that hampered the Obamacare era and move forward in a bipartisan direction that focuses not on destructive rhetoric, but squarely on reducing premiums and expanding access for all Americans. (Andy Slavitt, 3/26)
USA Today: Trump's New Health Care Opportunity: Our View
President Trump says he has a new strategy to address problems with the Affordable Care Act. He is going to wait "to let Obamacare explode" and then wait some more to let the Democrats "come to us" so we can "make one beautiful deal for the people." (3/26)
Chicago Tribune: Moving On: Who'll Fix Obamacare Now?
This week in Washington, a staggered president and his party dig out from the rubble of their failed Obamacare replacement effort. As House Speaker Paul Ryan says, there's no sugarcoating this. The politics of the Republicans' failure to pass, or even vote on, the American Health Care Act was ugly. House conservatives in the Freedom Caucus sought a full repeal without an effective replacement, guaranteeing the smoldering political debris in Washington. Why be greedy? Millions of Americans gained coverage via Obamacare. You can't replace something, no matter how gravely flawed, with nothing. (3/26)
USA Today: The Health Care War Is Far From Over
After eight years of fear-mongering and spreading outright lies about the Affordable Care Act, Republicans finally got the chance to step to the plate and give it their best swing. And they whiffed. Hard. (Neera Tanden, 3/27)
WBUR: No Time To Gloat: Why Democrats Have To Pull The Plug On The Affordable Care Act
If the Democrats really want to win in 2018, it won’t be enough to protect the ACA. They must offer the American people something better. This is tough medicine for Democrats, whose partisan instincts perhaps compel them to shield the ACA from all criticisms from conservatives. (Miles Howard, 3/27)
