As Democrats Campaign For A House Takeover, Health Care Becomes Wedge Issue Dividing The Party
On the more progressive side of the party, there's a push for a "Medicare For All" type plan, while on the more moderate end, there's a focus on fixing and shoring up the health law. The mixed messaging could muddy the waters in the coming high-tension midterms. Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to get ahead of criticism over rising premiums.
The Associated Press:
Democrats Wrestle With Election-Year Message On Health Care
Cheered on by a handful of activists, liberal House Democrats announced outside the Capitol that they were forming a caucus to push for "Medicare for All" — shorthand for government-financed health care. At the same time Thursday, Democratic senators were introducing a resolution aimed at putting Republicans on the defensive about Trump administration efforts to undermine former President Barack Obama's health care law. (7/20)
The Hill:
GOP Looks To Blunt Dems’ Attacks On Rising Premiums
House Republicans are trying to blunt Democratic attacks over rising ObamaCare premiums, an issue that’s poised to play a key role in the November midterm elections. The House is planning to vote next week on several GOP-backed health-care measures that supporters say will lower premiums, and passing them could give a boost to some vulnerable Republicans. (Sullivan, 7/19)
In other health law news —
The Hill:
Dems Pressure GOP To Take Legal Action Supporting Pre-Existing Conditions
Senate Democrats are targeting Republicans on health care, urging them to sign on to a resolution that would allow the Senate to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the legality of ObamaCare. The resolution, introduced Thursday, would allow the Office of Senate Legal Counsel to intervene in a case brought by Republican attorneys general that argues ObamaCare is now unconstitutional since Congress repealed the 2010 law's individual mandate last year. (Hellmann, 7/19)
The Hill:
House Dems Want Answers On Cuts To ObamaCare Outreach Groups
A pair of House Democrats want answers from the Trump administration about the decision to significantly slash funding for outreach groups that help people enroll in ObamaCare coverage. The funding will be cut from $36 million this year to $10 million in 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said last week. The administration's funding for such outreach had already been slashed last year to well below the $63 million budgeted annually under former President Obama. (Weixel, 7/19)
The Hill:
Poll: Half Of Americans Find Health Care Harder To Afford This Year
Nearly half of respondents in a new poll said they are now finding it more difficult to afford health care than they were a year ago, according to a poll released Thursday. The Navigator poll found 49 percent of respondents said it’s more difficult to afford prescription drugs, insurance premiums and doctor visits compared to last year. Additionally, 78 percent of those surveyed said they believe the government should be doing more to make health care more affordable. (Samuels, 7/19)