Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Medicare For All' In Spotlight As 2020 Race Begins In Earnest, But Rumblings Of 'Medicare For More' Ramp Up On Hill
Medicare for All may be progressives' rallying cry. But it鈥檚 Medicare for More that鈥檚 likely to wind up becoming reality. Several likely 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are pushing plans for something short of universal health care, a move already creating friction within the party's empowered left wing, which has panned any attempt to water down the progressive dream of a single-payer system. (Ollstein and Cancryn, 1/22)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is laying out her strategy on health care and first up is improvements to "Obamacare" and legislation to lower prescription drug costs. "Medicare for all" will get hearings. Pelosi and President Donald Trump have been sounding similar themes about the need to address the high drug costs. But her plans to broaden financial help for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act are unlikely to find takers among Republicans. (1/22)
Democratic presidential contender Julian Castro launched his campaign by pledging support for "Medicare for All," free universal preschool, a large public investment in renewable energy and two years of free college for all Americans. That wasn't enough for some of his party's most liberal members. (Peoples, 1/22)
Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) will run for president proposing a nearly $3 trillion tax plan, billions in tax credits to low-income renters, a Medicare-for-all health-care system, and a reduction in cash bail for inmates charged with criminal offenses, her aides said. Harris announced her candidacy Monday. (Stein, 1/21)
