Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Support Emerging Among GOP Lawmakers For Short-Term Tax Credits If High Court Strikes Down Health Law Subsidies
Support is growing among Republican lawmakers to temporarily help consumers pay their insurance premiums if the Supreme Court strikes down the health law鈥檚 tax credits in much of the country. The court will hear a legal challenge next week that contends the health-law鈥檚 language restricts its credits to residents of a handful of states that set up their own insurance exchanges. (Radnofsky and Armour, 2/26)
A leading House Republican claimed Thursday that he's been told of a 100-page document showing the Obama administration is preparing contingency plans in case the Supreme Court invalidates federal subsidies that help millions of Americans afford health care coverage. (2/26)
A Republican House subcommittee chairman is accusing the Obama administration of secretly preparing a fallback strategy if the Supreme Court strikes down a major piece of its healthcare reform law later this year, even as officials publicly maintain that no plan exists. (Ferris, 2/26)
Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey speaks with Melissa Attias of CQ- Roll Call about Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell鈥檚 visit to Capitol Hill, where she faced a torrent of questions about the pending Supreme Court arguments concerning health law subsidies and the impact the ruling may have on the millions of people who now have coverage because of the subsidies. (2/26)
In related news, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal steps up the push for repeal during this week's CPAC meeting in Washington while others offer congressional context -
[Louisiana Gov. Bobby] Jindal 鈥攚ho was once in with Republicans on the Hill enough to snag the role of delivering the State of the Union Republican response in 2009 鈥 is now criticizing his party for going against campaign messages of repealing the Affordable Care Act and Common Core and, instead, 鈥渨aving the white flag鈥 on the issues. (Breitman, 2/26)
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, looking to carve a conservative policy niche in the crowded field of potential GOP presidential candidates, Thursday criticized fellow Republicans in Congress for backing away from the push to repeal of the health care law. 鈥淭hey are about to wave the white flag of surrender on Obamacare,鈥 Mr. Jindal said at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, referring to congressional efforts to revamp rather than repeal the law. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 stand for that. (Hook, 2/26)
The Supreme Court will rule against the Obama administration in the King v. Burwell case later this year, gut the Affordable Care Act and open the door to a conservative alternative to President Obama鈥檚 domestic achievement: This appears to be taken as an article of faith by many of the speakers at this year鈥檚 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), taking place today and tomorrow outside Washington. (Garver, 2/26)