Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Dems Unveil Framework To Try To Make Health Insurance Affordable
Democrats are laying out their plans to rebuild the health care system in the hopes of eventually regaining control of Congress and the White House. On Thursday, a dozen Senate Democrats proposed a framework for private health insurance with the goal of making it affordable, and more standardized and simple. (Wilkerson, 3/19)
Provider consolidation was tip of the tongue Wednesday during a hearing that sat hospital and physician association leaders across from legislators. Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health often returned to the issue when seeking answers on the drivers of, and solutions for, Americans’ rising healthcare costs. (Muoio, 3/18)
On ACA subsidies and affordability —
Nearly one in 10 people who had Affordable Care Act plans last year dropped health insurance altogether, after premium costs rose sharply because of the expiration of federal subsidies, according to a new survey. Most of those who remained in ACA plans reported larger out-of-pocket healthcare expenses in the form of higher copays, coinsurance or deductibles, according to the survey from health-research nonprofit KFF. About one-sixth of those who still have ACA coverage, or 17%, weren’t sure they would be able to afford their new premium payments for the entire year, indicating more people might drop insurance as the year goes on. (Wilde Mathews, 3/19)
Ńîąóĺú´«Ă˝Ň•îl Health News: Many ACA Customers Are Paying Higher Premiums. Most Blame Trump And Republicans, Poll Finds
Most people who get their health coverage through the Affordable Care Act say they face sharply higher costs, with many worried they will have to pare back other expenses to cover them, according to a poll released Thursday. Some are uncertain whether they will be able to continue paying their premiums all year. Still, 69% of those enrolled last year signed up again this year, often for less generous coverage. About 9% said they had to forgo insurance, according to the survey by KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes Ńîąóĺú´«Ă˝Ň•îl Health News. (Appleby, 3/19)
Roughly half of Americans fall short of the annual income needed to cover their basic needs, according to new research. A U.S. family with children needs about $145,000 in income to be considered economically secure, according to a March 16 report from the Urban Institute. About 49% of Americans live below that financial threshold, the nonpartisan think tank found. In 2024 (the latest available data), the median household income for married couples in the U.S. was $128,700, U.S. Census data shows. (Picchi, 3/18)
Ńîąóĺú´«Ă˝Ň•îl Health News: Watch: Affordability Plagues Health Care In Its Shift From Nonprofit To Profit Machine
On What the Health? From Ńîąóĺú´«Ă˝Ň•îl Health News, distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and host Julie Rovner sat down with Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, to talk about the likelihood of a national health care debate to rein in costs. As the midterm elections approach, the cost of health care is the public’s top economic concern, Altman said. Although past reforms have significantly increased the number of people with health insurance, they have not successfully addressed affordability, he said. (Rovner, 3/19)
On TrumpRx —
Americans are furious about drug prices. The Trump administration’s answer? A new website. But more than a month after its launch, the site, TrumpRx.gov, remains small — offering discounts on just 54 prescription drugs. Many of those drugs already have cheaper generic versions or savings programs available elsewhere, and the discounts can’t be used with insurance or count toward a deductible. Awareness of the site remains limited. (Lovelace Jr., 3/18)
Billionaire enterpreneur Mark Cuban on Wednesday touted the federal government’s TrumpRx drug platform, saying the initiative is saving Americans money. “Everyone wants me to rip on TrumpRx,” Cuban wrote on the social platform X. “Reality is, it’s saving patients money on IVF and a few other drugs. A lot of money. IMO, anything that saves patients money is a win.” Cuban, who has criticized President Trump and endorsed former Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential race, co-founded Cost Plus Drugs — which intends to cut out pharmaceutical middlemen and reduce the price of prescription drugs — in 2022. (Rego, 3/18)
