Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
2020 Democrats Agree That Health System Needs Work, But What That Looks Like Becomes Dividing Line
We spent hours interviewing the enormous Democratic presidential field on subjects ranging from climate change and border control to fast food and personal humiliation. And while many Democrats agree on a broad set of political ideas, there were some telling differences and disclosures that emerged from our conversations. Here are a few of our takeaways. (Burns and Ember, 6/19)
Single-payer health care is a dividing line in the race, separating Democrats who want to replace the private insurance system from those who favor improving it. Some candidates — like Bernie Sanders and Michael Bennet — picked a clear side. Others, like Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, took a middle path. (6/19)
In other news on 2020 campaigns —
The still-growing field of Democratic candidates running for Senate seats in 2020 looks a lot like the Democratic candidates who ran for the House in 2018. While the race is very early, prominent candidates in several races share some key characteristics. Several are military veterans or small-business owners, and the announcement videos each emphasize health care. Many veterans and national security professionals won competitive House seats for Democrats in 2018, and health care was a central issue in the 2018 midterms. (Duehren, 6/18)
If Donald Trump weren’t president of the United States, Dr. Leana Wen might not be the head of Planned Parenthood. Wen, 36, almost didn’t return the call when Planned Parenthood’s search committee approached her about potentially replacing departing President Cecile Richards. She was a new mom serving as Baltimore’s health commissioner, considered by some one of the best public health advocates in the U.S. (Hellmann, 6/18)