Officials, Advocates Look Ahead On Health Care While ‘Catching Our Breath And Starting To Regroup’
The two biggest questions that state officials and industry executives are pressing federal lawmakers and the administration to address are the individual mandate and subsidies.
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Officials, Insurers: Health Care ‘An Ongoing Battle'
Buoyed by Congress’ failed attempt last week to replace the Affordable Care Act, California officials, health advocates and insurance executives are pressing forward on a new phase of resistance against GOP efforts to weaken the health care law. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones sent a letter Wednesday to the White House and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, urging the administration to enforce the law. (Ho, 3/29)
In other news —
Sacramento Bee:
Women’s Health Under Trump Subject Of Senate Forum
California, which aggressively embraced the Affordable Care Act, may have dodged a bullet when a Republican bid to “repeal and replace” the law failed last week. About 5 million residents in the state receive health insurance coverage through expanded eligibility for Medi-Cal or subsidies for private plans available through Obamacare. But the future of health care under the Trump administration nevertheless remains a murky picture, especially for women. Worried about access to birth control after the election, some Californians rushed to get IUDs, which can be effective contraceptives for up to a decade. (Koseff, 3/30)
KQED:
Reality Check: Trump’s Claim That A Health Care Deal With Dems Is ‘Easy’
The fallout from Friday’s Republican health care bill collapse is still trying to be understood. Right after the bill was pulled, President Trump teased that he wanted to work with Democrats and believed a bipartisan bill would be possible. But it wasn’t clear if that was just talk. On Tuesday night, he may have taken the first step to trying to reach across the aisle. (Montanaro, 3/29)