Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With HSAs, Republicans Want Americans To Have Some Skin In The Game
The Associated Press: Health Care's Future: Turning Patients Into Savers, Shoppers
The U.S. government may soon lean on someone new to help lower health care costs: you. The idea is that when your money is on the line — and not the insurance company's — you'll look for the best value and do your part to curb national health care spending. (Murphy, 2/22)
The Hill: GOP Healthcare Plans Push Health Savings Account Expansion
As Republicans struggle to coalesce around an ObamaCare replacement plan, they generally agree on one thing: It should expand access to health savings accounts. HSAs — special accounts for medical expenses that come with tax breaks — have long been a cornerstone of Republican healthcare plans. They argue giving people more direct control over their medical expenses will drive down healthcare costs. (Hellmann, 2/22)
More From KHN on HSAs: ‘Tax-Break Trifecta’ Or Insurance Gimmick Benefiting The Wealthy?
In other news —
Los Angeles Times: Obamacare 101: Are Health Insurance Marketplaces In A Death Spiral?
It’s been a rocky few months for the health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act. Even if you’re not one of the roughly 11 million Americans who rely on these online exchanges to get your health insurance, you’ve probably seen the headlines about rising premiums and insurance companies pulling out of the system. (Levey, 2/23)
Politico Pro: Single Payer — Could California Pull It Off?
When liberal California looks beyond the repeal of Obamacare, it sees a glimmer of single-payer on the horizon. Single payer or “Medicare-for-all,” the universal health care system long favored by the left and championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders as he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, is getting another look in California as political leaders and health experts grapple with what post-Obamacare health coverage could look like under President Donald Trump. Legislation to create a Medicare-for-all system was introduced in the state Senate last week. (Colliver, 2/22)
