Feb 15, 2017

Tom Price visits the Hill, and there's still no Obamacare repeal plan

Caitlin Owens

AP file photo

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price attended a lunch with Republican senators on Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, Price and the rest of the GOP still have a ways to go on Obamacare repeal, despite his recent confirmation. Here's what we learned from members who attended:

  • President Trump may have said a replacement plan is coming as soon as Price got confirmed, but that wasn't to be taken literally. "I didn't see any plan," Sen. John Thune told me, a bit tongue in cheek. "I think what you'll see is the things they can do by administrative action would be more likely."
  • Look for more action beyond today's rule. Potential topics: essential health benefits and ways to encourage continuity of coverage.
  • Price explained today's rule and why it included what it did. One reason he included those provisions versus some of the more controversial ones? "No risk of a legal challenge," Sen. Rob Portman told reporters.

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The other coronavirus test we need

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Researchers are racing to develop tests that detect whether someone may have developed immunity to the coronavirus, which could help society return to normal faster.

Why it matters: These tests could help people know if they are able to go back to work, as well as aid researchers in tracking the scale and death rate of the disease — key data for current and future pandemic policies.

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What the U.S. can learn from other countries in the coronavirus fight

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Note: Cases are shown on a logarithmic scale; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

The countries that have most successfully fended off the novel coronavirus have mainly done it with a combination of new technology and old-school principles.

Why it matters: There's a lot the U.S. can learn from the way other countries have handled this global pandemic — although we may not be able to apply those lessons as quickly as we'd like.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 640,589 — Total deaths: 29,848 — Total recoveries: 137,270.
  2. U.S.: Leads the world in cases. Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 112,468 — Total deaths: 1,841 — Total recoveries: 918.
  3. Federal government latest: President Trump is considering a quarantine on New York, parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. He signed a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill to give businesses and U.S. workers economic relief.
  4. State updates: A group of Midwestern swing voters that supported President Trump's handling of the coronavirus less than two weeks ago is balking at his call for the U.S. to be "opened up" by Easter. Alaska is latest state to issue stay-at-home order — New York is trying to nearly triple its hospital capacity in less than a month. New York moved its presidential primary to June 23, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.
  5. World updates: Italy reported 969 coronavirus deaths on Friday, the country's deadliest day. In Spain, over 1,300 people were confirmed dead between Thursday to Saturday.
  6. 🚀 Space updates: OneWeb filed for bankruptcy amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
  7. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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