Health Care Groups At A Crossroads Over Trying To Kill GOP Bill Or Help Shape It
Senators have hinted at a willingness to work with health care industry stakeholders, which were shut out of House negotiations. Those businesses now must decide what course of action to take. Meanwhile, The Associated Press looks at some of the sticking points of getting to 50 votes.
The Wall Street Journal:
Health-Care Groups Weigh Involvement In GOP Overhaul Push
Health-care groups that vocally opposed the House Republicans’ health plan are now split on the best path forward in the Senate: Should they work with lawmakers to shape a measure or simply try to kill it? As House Republicans pushed through legislation toppling large portions of the Affordable Care Act, groups representing hospitals, doctors, consumers and some insurers made no secret of their displeasure. Largely shut out of the talks, they actively opposed the bill, firing off angry letters and in some cases airing ads aimed at vulnerable House Republicans. (Hackman, 5/28)
The Associated Press:
McConnell Faces A Challenge Passing Health Care In Senate
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell faces a challenge in resolving the clashing demands of GOP senators on a health care replacement bill. Lawmakers have mixed feelings about Medicaid funding, with decisions that could throw millions into the ranks of the uninsured, and rising premium costs for some. Many conservatives are eager to cut costs, especially on Medicaid. (Fram, 5/30)
The Hill:
GOP Leader Tempers ObamaCare Expectations
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is tempering expectations that the Senate will pass an overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system, promising his colleagues a vote but not success. McConnell in his public comments and private conversations about the ObamaCare repeal and replace bill is painting a more sober picture than Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who in March guaranteed passage through the House. (Bolton, 5/29)
The Associated Press:
Newly Insured Fret Over Gains Made Under US Health Care Law
Dawn Erin went nearly 20 years without health insurance before the Affordable Care Act, bouncing between free clinics for frequent and painful bladder infections. The liver-destroying disease hepatitis C made her ineligible for coverage until President Barack Obama's law barred insurers from denying people with a medical condition. She has since seen a specialist who helped get her bladder infections under control, and her insurance covered about $70,000 in prescription drugs to treat hepatitis C. "I don't want to go back to the old way of doing things, worrying if I'm going to have the money to get my bladder infection treated," said the 46-year-old self-employed massage therapist from Austin, Texas. (5/28)