Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Last Draft Of GOP's Bill Failed -- So What's Different This Time?
The revisions are aimed at winning over additional support, but it remains deeply in doubt whether the bill can get 50 votes. Importantly, senators said the Medicaid sections of the bill would remain largely unchanged from the initial draft, a blow to moderates who had pushed for easing cuts to Medicaid.聽That means a new cap on Medicaid spending will still drop after 2025, leading to deeper cuts opposed by moderates. And funds for ObamaCare's expansion of Medicaid will still end in 2024. (Sullivan and Hellmann, 7/11)
A health care proposal from Senate conservatives would let insurers sell skimpy policies provided they also offer a comprehensive plan. It's being billed as pro-consumer, allowing freedom of choice and potential savings for many. But critics say it would split the sick and the healthy, leading to unsustainably high premiums for people with medical problems and pre-existing conditions, who may get priced out of the market unless taxpayers bail them out. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/11)
One and a half聽million people with pre-existing conditions could face higher premiums under an amendment to the Senate's healthcare bill being pushed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), according to a new analysis released Tuesday.聽The proposed amendment, which is being considered by GOP leadership, would essentially let insurers sell plans that don't meet Affordable Care Act (ACA)聽requirements as long as they also sell plans that do. (Hellmann, 7/11)
The Cruz-Lee version of the bill is being touted as a potential compromise that could bring together the warring sides of the GOP by finding a way to satisfy both the most conservative members of the caucus, who want to see the ACA destroyed root and branch, and the more moderate members who don鈥檛 want to be accused of throwing millions of Americans off of their health insurance coverage...聽The Cruz-Lee bill does offer generous subsidies to some Americans, but those aren鈥檛 available to people earning incomes that put them above the poverty level but well short of the 鈥渕iddle class.鈥 (Garver, 7/11)