Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republicans Want To Give States Wiggle Room On Essential Benefits. So What Does That Look Like?
The health care legislation under discussion in the Senate could allow states to remove some of the Affordable Care Act's consumer protections — including the prohibition that keeps insurers from limiting how much they'll pay for medically needy, expensive patients. Clara Hardy's parents worry about the Senate bill for just this reason. (Olgin, 6/30)
If Senate GOP leaders have their way, the check may not be in the mail. Many consumers collected unexpected rebates after the Affordable Care Act became law, possibly with a note explaining why: Their insurer spent more of their revenue from premiums on administration and profits than the law allowed, so it was payback time. More than $2.4 billion has been returned to customers since the provision went into effect in 2011, averaging about $138 per family in 2015. (Appleby, 7/5)
The Senate’s push to repeal the Affordable Care Act has bogged down in the face of a deep divide among Republicans, and some senators are expressing vastly disparate reservations about what the bill does and does not do. But there is another contentious element of the plan, found in both the House and Senate versions, that has received scant attention in Washington, mostly because it affects only one state: New York. (Foderaro, 7/3)
There’s much talk on Capitol Hill about the tax cuts included in the Republican health plans, but unless you are a frequent user of tanning beds or have personal wealth that puts you in the top 1 percent, you might not feel much effect from them. Specifically, both the House and the Senate plan would change or eliminate more than a dozen taxes that were levied to help pay for the Affordable Care Act’s insurance subsidies and to bolster Medicare and expand Medicaid. Republicans and other ACA critics have argued the taxes are onerous on businesses and families. (Appleby, 7/5)
North Texas’ hospitals and health systems are prudently watching and waiting as congressional leaders continue the prickly debate about the future of the nation’s health care law. (Rice, 6/30)
