POLITICO Playbook: Hear What's Hot On the Right & What's Hot On the Left (232 hits)
HOT ON THE RIGHT - WashPost 2-col. lead,"Few signing up for health pools: IN SOME STATES, COST IS HIGH," by Amy Goldstein:
"An early feature of the new health-care law that allows people who are already sick to get insurance to cover their medical costs isn't attracting as many customers as expected. In the meantime, in at least a few states, claims for medical care covered by the 'high-risk pools' are proving very costly, and it is an open question whether the $5 billion allotted by Congress to start up the plans will be sufficient. Federal health officials contend the new insurance plans, designed solely for people who already are sick, are merely experiencing growing pains. ...
State-level directors of the plans agree, in part. But in interviews, they also said that the insurance premiums are unaffordable for some who need the coverage - and that some would-be customers are skittish about the plans because federal lawsuits and congressional Republicans are trying to overturn the entire law." http://wapo.st/hKihCy
--HOT ON THE LEFT -- NEERA TANDEN, in TNR, on whether the lame duck's productiveness can last: "Republicans have gotten what they want, at least for now. With the election over, the push for 'team ball' isn't nearly as strong. ... This meant that, in the lame duck session, moderate Republicans could vote their conscience rather than continue to hunker down under McConnell's policy of obstruction.
For the first time in months, they could back Democratic bills, like DADT, that had strong public support. ... Republican presidential candidates will want to keep attacking Obama and any legislation his party proposes-and the GOP ranks on the Hill might fall in behind them." Neera Tanden is the chief operating officer of the Center for American Progress. She served in the Obama and Clinton administrations. http://bit.ly/dIRGHV
