Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amy Klobuchar, Known For Speaking Out On Alcoholism, Proposes $100B Mental Health, Substance Abuse Plan
Senator Amy Klobuchar on Friday released a $100 billion plan to combat drug and alcohol addiction and improve mental health care, focusing one of the first detailed proposals of her presidential campaign on an issue deeply personal to her. Ms. Klobuchar 鈥 who has spoken before about her father鈥檚 alcoholism, including memorably at Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh鈥檚 confirmation hearing 鈥 said she had developed the plan and made it an early focus in part because of that personal experience and in part because of the number of addiction-related stories she had heard from voters. (Astor, 5/3)
The wide-ranging plan, released Friday, includes funding for early intervention of mental health disorders and drug use, a national suicide prevention campaign, better access to opioid addiction and other types of treatment and recruitment of health care workers to underserved rural areas and cities with the highest need. Klobuchar also says that as president she would prioritize mental health and substance abuse treatment over incarceration for nonviolent offenders, noting she supported drug courts as an alternative to jail when she was the lead prosecutor of Minnesota's largest county. (Burnett, 5/3)
The Minnesota Democrat鈥檚 plan aims to prevent and treat addiction, particularly to opioids. It commits to improving access to care and mental health facilities, including in-patient programs, as well as funding more research. But the plan doesn鈥檛 include specifics about expanding access to treatment for people addicted to opioids, and the price tag would likely spark opposition from fiscal conservatives. (Schneider and Ehley, 5/3)
And another Democratic hopeful enters the crowded field 鈥
Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, the 21st Democrat to declare his candidacy for president, is known as a moderate who seeks bipartisan compromise. Here鈥檚 where he stands on a few key issues. ... On health care, he and Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia recently introduced a bill that would create a public option called Medicare-X; Mr. Bennet said that he wanted 鈥渦niversal coverage鈥 but that his model was 鈥渕ore practical鈥 than the single-payer ones many other Democrats have come to support. He has specifically criticized 鈥淢edicare for all鈥 proposals that would eliminate private insurance. (Astor, 5/2)
He has been an ardent defender of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare: He said during his 2010 Senate race that he was willing to lose his seat over his vote supporting it. But he has diverged from some Senate Democrats on a 鈥淢edicare for All鈥 single-payer health-care plan, pressing instead for an expansion of Obamacare to include a government-run public option for people unable to get private insurance through their employer. (Thomas, 5/2)