Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Thinking About The Senate: How Their Version Of Repeal And Replace Could Be Different
The biggest political news coming out of the House’s passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) is that most members of the Freedom Caucus voted for it. This is legislation that extends age-adjusted, refundable tax credits to all Americans without access to employer coverage, much of which will count as new spending in the federal budget. The bill also largely retains the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) insurance regulations in the individual insurance market, despite what is being said in the press. There was a time when Freedom Caucus members would never have voted for such legislation. It seems the blowback on the caucus following the failure to pass the bill in March had a major effect on their outlook. (James C. Capretta, 5/8)
Laast week, the House of Representatives passed a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. That was only the first act in a legislative drama that now moves to the Senate. It’s far too early to guess what the outcome will be, but one thing’s for sure: Republicans are making wildly optimistic promises on healthcare that they can’t possibly keep. (Doyle McManus, 5/7)
Dear Sen. Rubio, Remember where you come from. You come from the state where, in 2015, more people signed up for the benefits of the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — than in any other. You come from Greater Miami, which has the most Obamacare participants of anywhere in the country. Simply put, you come from Ground Zero (5/6)
If there’s a lesson to be reminded of this week as the American Health Care Act moves to the U.S. Senate, it’s this: Republicans really want to vote yes to repeal Obamacare. That might seem self-evident, as it’s exactly what Republicans have been saying the past six years. But in passing the ACHA on Thursday, House Republicans showed just how far they’re willing to go to. (5/7)
