Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Traditionally Vocal Health Groups' Silence Over Plan Reflects Newly Splintered Industry
Major health care industry groups have well-oiled war machines that they have regularly deployed聽to bolster 鈥斅爋r torpedo 鈥斅爌roposed policy in the past. But with the Senate health bill threatening to reshape a sector that makes up one-sixth of the American economy, many of the most powerful industry voices have been notably absent from the public debate. (Johnson, 6/27)
Powerful hospital and medical school lobbying groups are spending at least $1 million on television ads opposing Senate Republicans鈥 plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The ads ask viewers to consider whether they鈥檒l be among the millions of Americans projected to lose their health coverage under the Senate proposal, Rick Pollack, chief executive officer of the American Hospital Association, said Tuesday in a conference call with reporters. (Mattingly, 6/27)
Major veterans' organizations are voicing concerns about a Senate GOP bill to repeal the nation's health care law, fearing the impact of rising insurance costs and worried the underfunded Department of Veterans Affairs won't be able to fill the coverage gap. (Yen, 6/27)
Nursing-home executives are intensifying their opposition to the Senate鈥檚 health-care overhaul, concerned that the proposed multibillion-dollar cuts to Medicaid would gravely wound the industry. Before Senate Republicans postponed a vote on the legislation Tuesday, a conference call organized by the American Health Care Association drew nearly 800 participants. They were asked to contact their senators and representatives to discuss the bill鈥檚 potential impact, and to involve employees and family members of residents in the lobbying effort. (Simon, 6/27)
The bill passed by the House and the bill now before the Senate have prompted an array of organizations that try to work with Republicans and Democrats alike to take clear stands. ...聽The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated on Monday that the Senate bill would increase the number of people without health insurance by 22 million by 2026. (Boulton, 6/27)
Media outlets look at others' reactions to the Republicans' efforts as well聽鈥
An influential supporter of Republican leaders鈥 efforts to pass a health care and tax repeal package on Tuesday urged reluctant GOP senators to debate the controversial measure. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced it might include lawmakers鈥 votes on a motion to proceed to the health bill in its annual scorecard on legislators鈥 performance. The lobbying push is part of a broad effort by the Trump administration and its allies to overcome Republicans' hesitation on voting on the bill. (Young, 6/27)
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce聽urged Senate聽Republicans to repeal ObamaCare's "Cadillac Tax" on high-cost employer insurance plans in its healthcare聽replacement bill.聽The tax isn't slated to go into effect until 2020, and the current Senate draft聽would further delay its implementation until聽2026 to comply with the chamber's聽budget rules. (Hellmann, 6/27)
The Club for Growth announced its opposition on Tuesday to the Senate GOP鈥檚 ObamaCare repeal-and-replace legislation, arguing it would make the United States'聽healthcare system worse. The conservative group said the Senate bill would actually 鈥渞estore鈥 ObamaCare by creating new mandates and imposing taxes. (Hellmann, 6/27)
In a post Tuesday on the Health Affairs blog, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius calls the Republican health care plans passed by the House and proposed by the Senate 鈥渁 very cruel war on the poor.鈥澛燭he post, co-authored with Ron Pollack, founding executive director of consumer health group Families USA, states, 鈥淏y far, no demographic group would be hurt more by these legislative proposals than low-income people. They are the bulls-eye!鈥 (Margolies, 6/28)