Viewpoints: Those Trying To Overturn Health Law In Court Are Playing Politics While Millions Stand To Suffer
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Healthcare Isn't A Game. The Texas ACA Lawsuit Could Be Catastrophic For Public Health
Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, America’s access to healthcare has improved dramatically. Roughly 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage. Medicare beneficiaries can now get free preventive care and pay less for prescription drugs. And no one can be denied coverage based on preexisting conditions. And yet, a group of 20 Republican governors and attorneys general are trying to accomplish in court what Republican lawmakers repeatedly failed to do in Congress: removal of the ACA and its vital protections for consumers. (Georges C. Benjamin, 9/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Brett Kavanaugh Will Be Our Next Supreme Court Justice For All The Wrong Reasons
On Thursday, Judge Brett Kavanaugh completed two days of answering questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee that is considering his nomination to the Supreme Court. In some other reality, the Los Angeles Times editorial board would be struggling to reconcile our profound concern about how Kavanaugh might move a divided court further to the right with our longstanding view that presidents are entitled to considerable deference from the Senate, so long as their nominees to the court are well qualified and within the broad mainstream of legal thought. But in the current political environment, such agonizing is beside the point. (9/7)
Sacramento Bee:
Here Are Three Myths About Supreme Court Nominations
The media discussion surrounding the Brett Kavanaugh nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court has repeated many myths that are simply not true. First, I heard several times that picking justices is a presidential prerogative and the U.S. Senate owes deference to a president’s pick. That is wrong both with regard to the Constitution and our history. The Constitution allows the president to nominate, but requires that the Senate confirm the nominee. The framers were deeply distrustful of executive power and wanted to make sure that two branches of government independently concurred in every major decision. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 9/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
ObamaCare’s Hotel California
Democrats say they’re champions of health care for all, but that narrative needs a reality check. Progressives around the country are working to outlaw insurance products that could cover Americans who have no other affordable options. On Governor Jerry Brown’s desk is a bill that bans the sale of short-term, limited-duration insurance in California. The Trump Administration recently issued rules on the plans, which don’t have to comply with Affordable Care Act mandates. The coverage can now last up to a year, which was the norm before the Obama Administration limited the options to three months. Plans also can be renewed for up to 36 months. (9/3)
The New York Times:
Blame Emergency Rooms For The Out-Of-Control Cost Of Health Care
There are many reasons Americans pay more for health care than citizens of any other country. But one of the most powerful forces driving cost increases is buried in a little-known set of regulations concerning emergency room care. These regulations have granted hospitals what is essentially a monopoly over emergency room patients, allowing them to charge basically whatever they want. ... Data from California illustrate how hospitals have exploited this situation. From 2002 to 2016, total billed charges by hospitals rose by a staggering $263 billion, to $386 billion, even though the number of patients admitted did not increase. (Glenn Melnick, 9/5)
Sacramento Bee:
Free Play Is Great For Kids. Now Pediatricians Say So
The award for best line ever in a medical report: “Play is not frivolous.” It’s not new, the idea that free play helps children develop in remarkable ways. Multiple studies have found that play builds social skills and creativity and develops the ability to solve problems and to collaborate. (Karin Klein, 9/4)