Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Promises Protections For Preexisting Conditions That May Not Be Delivered By GOP Bill
After two false starts on President Trump鈥檚 promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Trump administration officials are pressing the House to vote on a revised version of the Republican repeal bill this week, perhaps as soon as Wednesday, administration officials said. And on Sunday, Mr. Trump insisted that the Republican health legislation would not allow discrimination against people with pre-existing medical conditions, an assertion contradicted by numerous health policy experts as well as the American Medical Association. (Pear, 5/1)
President Donald Trump says the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act "guarantees" coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions -- a claim that could undercut the legislation the White House is currently pushing on Capitol Hill. (Bradner, 4/30)
Trump maintained there is yet another version of the American Health Care Act, House Republicans' plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, and blamed obstruction by Democrats for聽Congress' failure to pass the legislation聽before his 100th day in Congress, although Republicans control both chambers of Congress. Trump also maintained that "preexisting conditions are in the bill. I mandated it." 聽Coverage with people with existing medical conditions has to be included, he continued, because "Obamacare is dead." (O'Donnell, 4/30)
Interviewer John Dickerson repeatedly asked Mr. Trump if the Republican plan鈥攂eing negotiated among GOP lawmakers聽in the House鈥攚ould guarantee coverage to people in every state,聽regardless of their medical history.聽Mr. Trump said that it would, but he didn鈥檛 directly address the possibility that some states could opt to charge more to people with such聽pre-existing聽conditions, the current sticking point in negotiations between GOP centrists and conservatives. (Radnofsky, 4/30)
He said the GOP's new healthcare bill is "much different than it was a little while ago." "This bill has evolved. And we didn't have a failure on the bill," he said. "You know, it was reported like a failure. Now, the one thing I wouldn't have done again is put a timeline. That's why on the second iteration, I didn't put a timeline," he continued. (Savransky, 4/30)
President Donald Trump is promising that the latest Republican health care legislation will cover people with pre-existing conditions "beautifully." Such reassurance is not to be found in the bill that's been under review. (Woodward and Drinkard, 5/1)
From cancer to addiction, doctors and patient groups are warning that the latest Republican health care bill would gut hard-won protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions. Some GOP moderates who may seal the legislation's fate are echoing those concerns. In a strongly worded statement this week, the American Medical Association said the Republican protections "may be illusory." The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network said the plan could take the nation back to a "patchwork system" that pushes costs on people with life-threatening conditions. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Fram, 4/28)
President Trump during an interview that aired Sunday said he will not touch the "concept of Medicare." "I'm not going to touch it, because I said it," the president said during an interview on CBS's "Face The Nation." "Now, waste, fraud and abuse, I'm going to touch. If there's something in Medicare that's been abused, I will touch that." (Savransky, 4/30)
President Donald Trump isn't giving up on a new plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. In Sunday morning tweets, Trump said a new health care plan is on its way, adding: "Obamacare is dead." (Morin, 4/30)
"Dems want billions to go to Insurance Companies to bail out donors....New...healthcare plan is on its way. Will have much lower premiums & deductibles while at the same time taking care of pre-existing conditions!" [he tweeted.] (Savransky, 4/30)