Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Planned Parenthood To Back Clinton With First-Ever Primary Endorsement
The political arm of Planned Parenthood will endorse Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire on Sunday, a Clinton campaign official confirmed. The endorsement marks the first time in the organization's 100-year history that Planned Parenthood Action Fund has endorsed a candidate in a primary. (Phillip, 1/7)
Planned Parenthood announced Thursday that it will endorse Hillary Clinton for president -- the controversial group鈥檚 first political endorsement in its history. The group, which has been under fire from Republicans after a number of controversies over its abortion practices, will formally endorse Clinton at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday, Fox News confirmed. (1/7)
Planned Parenthood is throwing its support behind Hillary Clinton, delivering what will be the organization's first-ever endorsement in a presidential primary. 鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear 鈥 reproductive rights and health are on the ballot in 2016,鈥 said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. "This is about so much more than Planned Parenthood. Health care for an entire generation is at stake,鈥 she added. (Hensch, 1/7)
Bernie Sanders has said from the start of his campaign for president that it鈥檚 an outrage that U.S. expenditures on health care are three time more per capita than those of Great Britain and 50 percent greater than those of France as a share of the overall economy. Yet this country has poorer results than most other European countries on key health care outcomes. (Pianin, 1/7)
Meanwhile, the candidates in the Republican field聽are vocal about repealing the Affordable Care Act, but聽they have offered few specifics about their own plans 鈥
President Barack Obama鈥檚 expected veto of Republican legislation to repeal his signature health law is a reminder that as long as there is a Democrat in the White House, the Affordable Care Act isn鈥檛 going away. It is a point Republicans on the campaign trail are happy to make. The question is what their alternatives would be. Every GOP presidential candidate鈥檚 health-policy platform begins with repealing the law, but for most, that鈥檚 also where it ends, at least for now. (Radnofsky, 1/7)
The party has held no markups, hearings or budget analysis on any replacement bills, and leaders have repeatedly refused to endorse any single provision beyond a broader promise to offer 鈥減atient-centered care.鈥 Top Republicans, like Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.), a doctor is helping to spearhead the GOP鈥檚 effort in 2016, say they are aware of the party鈥檚 vulnerability. (Ferris, 1/8)