WEST WING MHI DAILY

“CBO’s Secret: 73% Of Coverage Difference Between Obamacare & GOP Bills Driven By Individual Mandate” – Avik Roy, Forbes In Forbes this weekend, healthcare policy expert Avik Roy wrote about heretofore secret CBO numbers he obtained from a Congressional staffer showing any Obamacare replacement bill that removes the individual mandate would automatically lead to 16 million more uninsured via CBO’s flawed healthcare model. As Roy notes, “(t)he CBO’s love affair with the individual mandate is the reason why there’s really nothing Republican senators can do to improve the CBO’s coverage score of their bill.” In The Washington Times, economist Stephen Moore argues that proponents of Obamacare repeal should focus on how ending the failed law would increase “choice, competition and cost reduction,” “three Cs” that Obamacare failed to deliver. Data: Analysis of company filings; Chart: Lazaro Gamio, Naema Ahmed / Axios Axios reports that “the CEOs of 70 of the largest U.S. health care companies cumulatively have earned $9.8 billion in the seven years since” Obamacare was passed, an example showing that the failed law has provided little incentive to the insurance industry to control costs. In improving the care of our veterans, VA Secretary Shulkin writes in USA Today, that “President Trump is dedicated to maintaining a strong VA,” saying that the administration’s efforts to strengthen outside referral programs such as Choice or Community care are not efforts to “privatize” the agency but simply provide veterans the best care possible. In domestic energy news, the New York Post editorial board praises the U.S.’ growing energy production and its positive effects, highlighting specifically President Trump’s and Secretary Perry’s aim for “global ‘energy dominance’” with an all-of-the-above energy approach. WEST WING MHI