Week Ending: Nov. 9, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson
NOTE: The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives returned from recess on Nov. 13th.
Key Take Healthcare Related Takeaways from the 2018 Midterms
Health Care Was the Most Important Issue to Voters, Fueling a Democratic Majority in the House of Representatives
According to national exit polls, voters said health care was the most important issue by a two-to-one margin compared to the second most important issue, immigration, 41 percent to 23 percent, and Democrats won those voters 77 percent to 22 percent. Among the competitive GOP-held districts, Democrats had an 8 point advantage on health care, 52 to 44 percent. When it comes specifically to protecting people with pre-existing conditions, voters preferred Democrats over Republicans by a 24-point margin , 58 percent to 34 percent.
While most of us were focused on selecting elected officials, voters across the country also weighed in on several ballot initiatives in many states that will impact healthcare (including Medicaid expansion). For more information about what happened, please and how it may impact you, READ → https://www.salon.com/2018/11/10/midterm-results-show-health-is-important-to-voters-but-no-magic-bullet_partner/
The Trump-Pence Administration Finalized Dangerous and Unlawful Birth Control Rules Just One Day After the Mid-Term Elections
The day after the mid-term elections, the Trump-Pence Administration ramped up its assault on women’s health. In addition to attacking insurance coverage of abortion and the Title X family planning program, the Administration finalized two rules that would gut the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit, which requires health plans to cover all FDA-approved birth control methods for women without out-of-pocket cost. If the final rules go into effect as the Trump-Pence Administration would like them to on January 14, 2019, they will allow virtually any employer or university claiming a religious or moral exemption to deny insurance coverage of birth control to their employees and students. NWLC is suing the Trump-Pence Administration and supporting legal challenges by several states to stop these dangerous rules from going into effect.
READ → https://nwlc.org/blog/the-trump-pence-administration-finalized-dangerous-and-unlawful-birth-control-rules-just-one-day-after-the-mid-term-elections/
LISTEN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Split Decision On Health Care
In the latest episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss the Trump administration’s new birth control coverage rules and the potential impact of the midterm election results on health policy. For more information, READ → https://khn.org/news/podcast-khns-what-the-health-split-decision-on-health-care/
Understanding the Various Healthcare Proposals (such as Medicare-For-All and Single-Payer?)
As politicians across the country toss about such health care catchphrases, sometimes interchangeably, many voters say they’re “just confused.” As we prepare for a new Congress, please take a moment to understand the various healthcare proposals. For more information → https://khn.org/news/quick-whats-the-difference-between-medicare-for-all-and-single-payer/
What You Can Do
TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care. Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet to your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will? Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.
- Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
- Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
What NMAC is Doing About It
- NMAC is beginning to meet with the new congress to make sure HIV remains front and center
- Working on national Ending the Epidemic plans and implementation
- Engaging with the CDC about molecular surveillance