Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers Crafts 5-Prong Plan To Shore Up Affordable Care Act
Dozens of House lawmakers from both parties unveiled a series of proposals on Monday designed to fix problems dogging the Affordable Care Act. 鈥淭he last great hope for this country is that Republicans and Democrats prove they can work together,鈥 Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), co-chairman of the Problem Solvers Caucus, said in a statement. (Lillis, 7/31)
The Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of 43 House of Representative members, announced Monday that they have agreed on principles for improving Obamacare. "The Caucus hopes to restore some predictability as insurance companies make decisions about premium prices in 2018," the announcement said. The caucus is 21 Republicans and 22 Democrats, with another Republican expected to join soon. (Lee, 7/31)
After the collapse of the Obamacare repeal, Republicans may have to choose between pursuing another health bill or pushing through a tax overhaul this year, because there鈥檚 almost certainly not enough time to do both. And that鈥檚 not even their biggest problem -- which is, they can鈥檛 agree on either. The Senate debate last week laid bare how sharply divided the party remains over health care. And Thursday, the group in charge of developing a tax plan made clear that it鈥檚 agreed on very little. (Dennis, 7/31)
Senate Republicans couldn鈥檛 agree on a way to repeal and replace Obamacare. So now they鈥檙e contemplating a totally different approach: Blow it up and let the states sort it out. The latest attempt to resuscitate the GOP's repeal bid would reshape the nation鈥檚 health care system by sharply curtailing the federal government鈥檚 role and placing the future of Obamacare in the hands of governors. But Republican senators will have a hard time overcoming the internal divisions that doomed their three attempts last week to unravel the Affordable Care Act. (Cancryn, 7/31)
A proposal released Monday by the 43-member Problem Solvers Caucus would effectively guarantee insurance subsidies for the individual markets and exempt more businesses from mandated health coverage. U.S. Rep. Martha McSally helped craft the bipartisan plan for the Republicans as a way to help stabilize the individual markets, which face a deadline next month for setting premium levels even as President Donald Trump has suggested he may withhold subsidies to them. (Hansen, 7/31)
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told President Trump聽on Monday聽that he believes administrative action can be taken to let organizations, such as trade groups, band together to buy insurance. ...Paul, for example, would like to let groups 鈥 such as AARP and the Chamber of Commerce 鈥 come together to buy health insurance and negotiate for lower costs. 鈥淐an you imagine the leverage you would get for drug prices and insurance prices if you were negotiating for 5 million people?鈥 Paul said. (Roubein, 7/31)
Sen. Chuck Schumer said Monday he has heard from 10 of his Republican colleagues in response to his call for a bipartisan approach to health care legislation. 鈥淣o one thought Obamacare was perfect 鈥 it needs a lot of improvements,鈥 Schumer (D-N.Y.) said after an unrelated news conference at Albany Medical Center. 鈥淲e鈥檙e willing to work in a bipartisan way to do it. What we objected to was just pulling the rug out from it and taking away the good things that it did: Medicaid coverage for people with parents in nursing homes, for opioid treatment, for kids with disabilities, pre-existing conditions.鈥 (Vielkind, 7/31)
At a round table at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center on Monday, Warren called her GOP colleagues鈥 failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act 鈥渁 triumph for democracy鈥 鈥 and said it is time for senators to turn their attention to enhancing the existing health care system. ...The mood in the room Monday was celebratory, as health center patients and staff thanked Warren for her efforts to uphold the Affordable Care Act, and she touted the center as a model for low-cost, community health care in return. (Parker, 7/31)