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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: States struggling with Medicaid choice
What's left? The Supreme Court ruled. The House held its second repeal vote. All is quiet on the healthcare-reform front, with the exception of the now-optional Medicaid expansion, which puts many governors in a tricky spot. Supporters say state leaders would be foolish to turn down enormous federal grants to expand their Medicaid rolls. Opponents say state leaders would be foolish to grow the program, putting themselves on the hook for future costs amid a wave of budget crises.
For GOP governors, the calculus is also political. Many, such as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, have said they're putting off implementation of the healthcare law until after November to focus on electing Mitt Romney, who has promised to repeal it. But that doesn't mean the choice is easy for Democratic governors, either.
Some are wary that, if they accept the expansion but face a fiscal crisis later, they'll lose the federal matching funds for the program if they choose to cut the rolls. This is a concern for Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe (D), according to a report, who appears to be leaning toward the expansion but has contacted the Obama administration with his own questions. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has been in touch with state leaders, but with few specifics, promising instead to answer questions at scheduled in-person meetings.
Read more on the trend from The Washington Post.
DCCC claims victory: House Democrats’ campaign arm said Thursday that Republicans picked a losing fight with their latest repeal vote.
The DCCC noted that it raised $2.3 million in the three days following the Supreme Court’s healthcare decision.
Lucky 13: Kentucky is the latest state to say it will implement the core feature of the Affordable Care Act — an insurance exchange. Gov. Steve Beshear (D) said stakeholders including insurers, providers and employers have urged him to establish a state-based exchange, rather than relying on a federally administered fallback. He told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that he’ll sign an executive order creating an exchange and will have the marketplace ready to meet HHS’s certification deadline. Healthwatch has the details.
Gestapo gaffe, round 2: Maine Gov. Paul LePage made a lot of people mad this past weekend by referring to the IRS as “the new Gestapo” because of its role in enforcing the healthcare law. On Thursday, LePage said the Holocaust was “probably a bad example” — and, in nearly the same breath, used the example again.
“What I’m trying to say is the Holocaust was a horrific crime against humanity and frankly I would never want to see that repeated. Maybe the IRS is not quite as bad — yet,” LePage said.
Asked by a reporter whether that means the IRS is moving in the same direction as the Nazi secret police, LePage said yes. Read the Healthwatch post.
Supreme distrust: Republican voters pulled an about-face on the Supreme Court in the wake of its healthcare ruling, according to the latest poll from the Pew Center for People & the Press. In April, 56 percent of Republicans reported a “favorable” view of the court. Now, that number is down to 38 percent.
Disapproval of the court doubled among GOP voters — from 25 percent in April to 51 percent after the healthcare decision. Healthwatch has the full breakdown of the latest poll.
Obama still leads on health: An important note from the same poll: Although the ACA hasn’t made big gains in popularity, Obama held an eight-point advantage over Mitt Romney when respondents were asked which candidate would do a better job on health care. Forty-nine percent said Obama would do a better job, compared with 41 percent who chose Romney.
Surprise consensus: A new analysis finds that healthcare
stakeholders have tacitly or explicitly rallied around the
implementation of the Affordable Care Act, even as partisan debate over
the law remains fierce. The report from HealthAffairs concludes that
consensus has emerged because the law "fundamentally serves" the
interests of many healthcare stakeholders.The report concludes that the
emerging status quo could make repeal "more daunting than expected" — and
that the prospect of returning to circumstances pre-ObamaCare would be a
"nightmare" for the healthcare sector.
"The assumption that repeal is a simple and straightforward option
glosses over the reality that any moves to 'repeal and replace' the law
may be as difficult to accomplish as passage of the original statute,"
the authors write. HealthAffairs has the complete report.
State by state
Missouri Gov. Nixon vetoes contraception bill
US judge again stalls Miss. abortion law
States panned for family leave protections
Proposed Alaska rule on abortion certification causes confusion
Lobbying registrations
Capitol Hill Partners / North Sunflower Medical Center
Liberty Square Group / DDC Advocacy (on behalf of PhRMA / We Work for Health)
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld / Cleveland HeartLabs
Medline Industries / self-registration
Tauzin Consultants / Invacare Corporation
Steptoe & Johnson / Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico
The Glover Park Group / Sucampo Pharmaceuticals
Trimpa Group / Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics
Reading list
Rockefeller asks HHS to overhaul dual-eligibles demo
German circumcision ruling called threat to religion
Truvada pill urged for AIDS prevention after promising studies
Interactive health records may boost preventive care
What you might have missed on Healthwatch
House Dem: Refusing Medicaid dollars a 'historic mistake'
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