When Deal-Making Duo Tackled Health Law, Many Hoped They’d Break Cycle Of Failure. Then It All Fell Apart.
Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), both known for their ability to craft bipartisan deals, have been working on health law stabilization measures for months. And then it turned sour. Politico looks at what happened. Meanwhile, Americans have ranked health care as one of their top concerns.
Politico:
Inside The Collapse Of A Bipartisan Obamacare Deal
Everybody on Capitol Hill agreed: If anyone could break the deep-rooted partisan logjam over Obamacare in Congress, it was that deal-making duo Patty and Lamar. But in the end, it was Obamacare that broke their alliance. Just seven months after Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) heralded the beginning of a new bipartisan era on health care following the collapse of Obamacare repeal efforts, their lofty ambitions ended in much the same way as every Obamacare-related negotiation over the last eight years — with claims of betrayal, warnings of political fallout and no progress toward bridging the deep divide over the nation’s health care system. When Congress put its finishing touches on a $1.3 trillion spending bill late last week, there was one glaring omission: a proposal to head off huge premium spikes just before the November midterm elections. (Cancryn and Haberkorn, 3/26)
The Hill:
Health Care Tops List Of Americans’ Worries: Poll
A majority of Americans say issues surrounding health care is a top concern for them, according to a new Gallup poll. Fifty-five percent of those polled said they worry "a great deal" about the cost and availability of health care in the U.S., while 23 percent said they worry about the issue "a fair amount." (Manchester, 3/26)
In other health law news —
Nashville Tennessean:
Health Insurance Market May Soon Split According To Healthy, Sick
For most consumers, 2019 feels pretty far away. But in the insurance world, it’s practically right around the corner. In just a few short months, carriers will have to decide if they intend to sell individual insurance next year. These decisions will be influenced by recent proposals by President Trump’s administration that would allow carriers to offer plans that don’t meet current ACA standards. This could result in more coverage options outside of the ACA, but it could also lead to fewer options and premium increases for ACA plans. (Tolbert, 3/26)
