Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives On GOP Plans For Medicare And Advice About Replacing Obamacare
Donald Trump鈥檚 choice of GOP Rep. Tom Price as secretary of health and human services is being widely interpreted as a sign that he is likely to proceed with plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act and convert Medicare into a 鈥減remium support鈥 scheme along the lines that Paul Ryan has long championed. Trump did repeatedly promise to repeal Obamacare. But Medicare is a different matter. Trump promised countless times not to cut Medicare and repeatedly suggested he would leave the program as it is. (Greg Sargent, 12/1)
As President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress decide the future of the Affordable Care Act, they ought to pay close attention to a survey published on Thursday that shows that a large majority of the country supports the law鈥檚 most important provisions. Republican lawmakers and candidates have portrayed the 2010 law as an unmitigated disaster that must be repealed. (Vikas Bajaj, 12/1)
The left is in a tizzy about what happens to health-care policy under Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), Donald Trump鈥檚 pick for health and human services secretary. Price鈥檚 wish list, after all, reads like a liberal nightmare. (Catherine Rampell, 12/1)
After campaigning on a platform long on platitudes and short on specifics, President-elect Donald Trump this week started to reveal what he has in store for the nation鈥檚 health care system 鈥 and many Californians aren鈥檛 going to like what they hear. Trump, who promised to replace Obamacare with 鈥渟omething terrific,鈥 chose Rep. Tom Price, a tea party Republican from suburban Atlanta and one of Obamacare鈥檚 fiercest critics, as his nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. (Sal Rosselli, 12/1)
Yes, the white working class is about to be betrayed. The evidence of that coming betrayal is obvious in the choice of an array of pro-corporate, anti-labor figures for key positions. In particular, the most important story of the week 鈥 seriously, people, stop focusing on Trump Twitter 鈥 was the selection of Tom Price, an ardent opponent of Obamacare and advocate of Medicare privatization, as secretary of health and human services. This choice probably means that the Affordable Care Act is doomed 鈥 and Mr. Trump鈥檚 most enthusiastic supporters will be among the biggest losers. (Paul Krugman, 12/2)
This week, the American Medical Association promptly endorsed U.S. Rep. Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to serve as health and human services secretary. The news filled me with so much disgust that I resigned my membership. (Carolyn Sax, 12/1)
Why aren鈥檛 Arizona鈥檚 Millennials signing up for the Affordable Care Act? That鈥檚 what the Obama administration is wondering now that open enrollment is underway in Arizona and across the nation. My generation is the key to the Affordable Care Act鈥檚 success, and yet so far we鈥檝e steered clear for three straight years. (David Barnes, 12/1)