Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats LIkely To Highlight Positions On Drug Prices During First Debate
Mr. Obama’s legacy and how much a Democratic successor should embrace it will hover over the debate, even as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders and the other Democratic candidates put forth their specific policy proposals and promises. ... Last week, she said she could not support Mr. Obama’s signature trade pact, the Trans Pacific Partnership, which she had championed as secretary of state and which Mr. Sanders had come out forcefully against. She has also proposed doing away with the so-called Cadillac tax on certain health care plans, aligning herself with labor unions on dismantling a key part of Mr. Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Mr. Sanders has also taken aim at the law, saying it does not go far enough to make health insurance affordable for many Americans. (Chozick, 10/11)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is calling out a much-maligned pharmaceutical company for holding patients “hostage” with the price of its drug. Turing Pharmaceuticals and its CEO Martin Shkreli have faced a wave of negative publicity after news broke last month that it raised the price of drug to treat a life-threatening infection from $13.50 to $750 overnight. (Sullivan, 10/9)
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says the federal budget deficit is a "serious problem" -- but he's not backing away from potentially pricey policy proposals. In an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd set to air Sunday on "Meet the Press," the Democratic presidential contender said he'd pay for his plans -- including $1 trillion for infrastructure and a "Medicare for all" health insurance system -- through higher taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations that keep profits outside the country. (Bradner, 10/11)
Mr. Lieberman will co-lead a forum Monday for presidential candidates in Manchester. Five Republicans—including front-runner Donald Trump—and three Democrats will be on hand for a rare joint appearance by candidates of both major parties in New Hampshire. ... Nearly 2,000 New Hampshire voters registered to attend the event, and every candidate who has declared they are running for president was invited to attend, a No Labels spokesman said. The group hopes to get pledges from the candidates to adopt some of the goals of No Labels, including balancing the federal budget by 2030, ensuring the survival of Social Security and Medicare for another 75 years and creating 25 million jobs over the next decade. (De Avila and Haddon, 10/11)
