Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Advocates Vow To Defend Covered California: 'What We Have Is Too Important To Lose'
As President-elect Donald Trump threatens to 鈥渞epeal and replace鈥 the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care to millions, supporters of Covered California are joining forces to come up with ways to defend the public health exchange they鈥檝e spent the last five years building. (Caiola, 11/17)
A key state health care figure vowed Thursday to defend the coverage gains California has seen under the Affordable Care Act in the face of widely expected efforts by President-elect Donald Trump to overturn much of the health reform law. 鈥淚 want to assure you, your staff and Californians that we stand ready to fight to keep what is working in this state,鈥 Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), chairman of the Senate Health Committee, told the board members of Covered California, the state鈥檚 health insurance exchange, in their first public meeting since Trump was elected on Nov. 8. (Ibarra, 11/18)
It was all hands on deck at Covered California鈥檚 monthly board meeting Thursday as leaders of the state insurance exchange and a panel of experts spent hours trying to divine a health care world according to President-elect Donald Trump. The worst-case scenario is clear: On the campaign trail, Trump promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama鈥檚 signature health care law that has insured 20 million Americans who had lacked health coverage. (Seipel, 11/17)
The chief executive of Blue Shield of California, the largest insurer on the state-run marketplace, says he鈥檚 committed to selling coverage there even as Republicans pursue a repeal of the federal health law. In an interview this week with California Healthline, Paul Markovich also criticized President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 support for the sale of insurance plans across state lines in order to boost competition and consumer choice. (Terhune, 11/17)
