The Aetna-Humana merger is all but dead after a judge said the deal would ruin competition, especially in Medicare Advantage.
But the ruling shed some damning light on how the Obamacare marketplaces factored into the deal, and how Aetna executives wanted to use their participation and withdrawals from the marketplaces to help gain approval for their deal.
Here are some of the most controversial Obamacare portions of the Aetna-Humana ruling.
Bloomberg has a lesson for President Trump and national Republicans from Matt Bevin, the Republican governor of Kentucky: rebranding Obamacare might be easier than killing it.
Some Republican-friendly additions Kentucky lawmakers made to Obamacare while maintaining Medicaid expansion in the state:
Rebranding — the program is known as Kynect or Passport
Monthly premiums of $1 to $15, allowed to rise annually
$1,000 per year deductible, funded by the state
A requirement to work or volunteer for 20 hours each week
Not only does Obamacare help provide insurance for millions of Americans, it also mandates that insurance companies cover preventive care services and supplies. Why are mammograms, flu shots, colonoscopies, birth control and breast pumps free? Partially, because Obamacare says so, as the Los Angeles Times points out.
With the repeal approaching, some people are worried their benefits will be gone with the law.
Remember:
Preventive care is an Obamacare benefit that affects people well beyond the newly insured.
But those benefits are factored into the premiums. They're not free.
The main drug industry trade group is launching a massive ad campaign to highlight the medical advances that have been created in the last few years — a counterstrike against the attacks they're facing over rising drug prices.
Cowen analyst Chris Krueger sets the scene for this week's GOP policy retreat:
He sees Obamacare repeal being rolled into tax reform, incentivizing lawmakers to vote in favor of it. Krueger calls this process of merging two bills into one the legislative equivalent of William "Refrigerator" Perry.
Says Trump will be "super anxious" to put some points on the board, and infrastructure is something everyone largely agrees on. With the main focus on repealing and replacing Obamacare, Trump should have more wiggle room on infrastructure.
A bipartisan package of tax cuts and credits could be approved for the FY18 reconciliation process. It could also be a component of an infrastructure bill.
Sen. Chuck Grassley has been one of the most consistent Republicans speaking out against rising prescription drug prices. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he plans to push legislation this year making it easier for generics to get to market. He's hoping that will add competition and drive down prices.
What to know:
Grassley sees his two bills increasing competition as likely to gain some traction, but he doesn't see the same odds for legislation allowing prescription drugs to be imported from abroad.
Drug price legislation could be wrapped into the Obamacare debate if it saves money and helps pay for the replacement, he said.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway confirmed health care analysts' suspicions Sunday that Obamacare's individual mandate was one of the main targets President Trump's executive order Friday — but she fudged on how quickly the administration would act on it.
Here's what she said on ABC's "This Week with George Stepanopoulous" this morning when Stephanopoulos asked about the executive order:
He wants to get rid of that Obamacare penalty almost immediately. Because that is something that is really strangling a lot of Americans, to have to pay a penalty for not buying health care.
