Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Recipe For Chaos: Even If Plan Passed, States Warn They Wouldn't Be Able To Implement It
State officials are warning they face a daunting, near-impossible task of rebuilding their health care systems from the ground up in just two years under the GOP’s latest Obamacare repeal plan. It’s a recipe for chaos, say those officials, who fear the unforgiving timeline and minimal federal assistance could result in insurance market collapses that force millions of residents to lose coverage. (Cancryn and Rayasam, 9/25)
Only one thing is certain for insurance shoppers if the latest attempt to replace former President Barack Obama's health care law succeeds: Uncertainty. Will you be able to get coverage? How much will it cost? Will it cover my conditions? It depends. (Murphy, 9/25)
In selling his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, co-sponsored with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Bill Cassidy repeatedly has mentioned the case of a Louisiana resident who faces $40,000 in insurance premiums. There are actually two such cases, one of which Cassidy touted on Facebook in 2016, though the details are a bit fuzzy. He displayed an insurance sheet that shows a couple being quoted $3,300 a month in premiums for a plan with a $6,200 deductible and $13,000 cap on total expenses. Cassidy has not identified this person. (Kessler, 9/26)
Critics of the updated ObamaCare repeal measure from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) say it goes further than their earlier bill in gutting protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The two lawmakers say they changed their legislation in a bid to win over holdout senators by giving the states more money and more freedom. (Weixel, 9/25)