Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Across The Country, Election Results Raise Questions About Future Coverage Options
Donald J. Trump鈥檚 upset win all but guarantees that big changes are ahead for health care in America. But Massachusetts鈥 groundbreaking reforms of a decade ago will probably shield the state from too much upheaval. ... 鈥淲e are probably better insulated from any state in the country to federal changes -- not completely insulated, but better insulated -- partly because our reforms predated the Affordable Care Act, and partly because there is a political consensus in the state that our reforms are working well,鈥 said Andrew Dreyfus, chief executive of the state鈥檚 largest health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. (Dayal McCluskey, 11/9)
The election of Donald Trump raises new uncertainty not only for the nearly 421,000 Marylanders who now have insurance under the Affordable Care Act, but also the state's unique cost-control agreement with Medicare. Under the lucrative agreement with the federal government, the state sets uniform prices for hospital care, which means Medicare pays more in Maryland than elsewhere. In exchange, the state's hospitals must keep health costs down. But they could lose millions of dollars if the agreement, which is being renegotiated now and expires in two years, went away. (McDaniels, 11/9)
Though President-elect Donald Trump wants Congress to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act,聽legal scholars say it is likely that some popular provisions of the act will remain. But the mandate that people buy insurance and the federal subsidies that offset premiums are likely "in the crosshairs," University of Pennsylvania law professor Tom Baker said Wednesday morning. Ultimately, that would means less money to pay for the popular parts of President Obama's signature health insurance program, such as the requirements that insurers cover preexisting conditions and that children be allowed to stay on their parents' policies through age 25. (Avril, 11/9)
With Republican control of the U.S. House, Senate and White House solidified under a presumptive Donald Trump administration, the 1.2 million Texans with health insurance under President Obama鈥檚 signature Affordable Care Act face an uncertain future. (Walters, 11/9)
Illinois consumers battered by higher health insurance prices and dwindling options in recent weeks woke up Wednesday with a new concern: Will their Obamacare coverage vanish altogether amid Donald Trump's presidency? Trump, elected president Tuesday, has promised to erase President Barack Obama's signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act. He's said he will repeal and replace it immediately, calling the law "a catastrophe." (Schencker, 11/9)
Come January, the nation will have a president and Congress that have pledged repeatedly to repeal Obamacare. But in the meantime, there鈥檚 a sign-up period going on for people to buy coverage through the insurance exchanges created by the health law. So what happens now? (Levin Becker, 11/9)
鈥淥bamacare is done.鈥 That was the glum prediction late Tuesday night from Democratic political consultant James Carville, longtime ally of Hillary Clinton, as he noted the electoral math propelling Republican Donald Trump to victory in the presidential contest. ... Overall, what does the Trump victory mean for Georgia health care? It鈥檚 hard to say with any certainty. But health care experts suggest the effort to expand Georgia鈥檚 Medicaid program now faces steeper odds than ever. (Miller, 11/9)
Now that Donald Trump has won the presidency, Republican congressional leaders are making it their priority to repeal and replace the 6-year-old Affordable Care Act. That's adding to the uncertainty surrounding the future of MNsure and people who depend on the health care exchange. (Benson, 11/10)
When it comes to the聽immediate impact of the presidential election on local companies and the Nashville-area聽economy, the fallout聽varied largely by sector. ... Meanwhile, a rewritten Affordable Care Act could lead to more costs falling on the shoulders of hospitals if fewer people are insured. HCA tumbled 11 percent, LifePoint Health was down 14 percent and Community Health Systems dropped 22 percent. The tumbling share prices of hospital operators do not necessarily have a聽direct impact on the Nashville economy, but if their employment numbers are聽affected by depressed earnings, then Nashville could be hurt, [Stephen Frohsin, a principal at Woodmont Investment Counsel in Nashville,] said. (McGee, 11/9)
Some Californians were shocked and deeply worried. Some were confused and cautious. Others were glad to hear California鈥檚 health insurance exchange might be dismantled. Here is a smattering of reactions from around the state to the election of Donald Trump, who has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act when he becomes president. (Gorman and Ibarra, 11/9)
Meanwhile, federal officials urged residents to go forward with enrollment in health plans for next year --
The White House will continue encouraging people to sign up for health insurance during the ongoing open enrollment period, even with the threat of a repeal of Obamacare under President-elect Donald Trump. 鈥淭his administration is going to continue to make a strong case that people should go to HealthCare.gov, consider the options that are available to them, and the vast majority who do will be able to purchase health insurance for $75 a month or less,鈥 White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said at a press briefing Wednesday. 鈥淲e want to make sure that as many Americans as possible understand the opportunity that鈥檚 available to them.鈥 (McIntire, 11/9)