Clinton Faces Pressure From Both Parties During Fallout Over Aetna Exit

Democrats renew calls for a public option, while Republicans are using the withdrawal as the latest example of why the law needs to be completely scrapped.

The Wall Street Journal: Clinton Pushed From Left And Right On Health Care

Aetna Inc.’s decision to scale back participation in the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges is putting new pressure on Hillary Clinton over health care, a onetime signature issue that has taken a back seat in her presidential campaign. The pressure is coming from the right but also the left. Liberals say the Aetna decision shows the need for a government-run option to compete with the private insurance companies, or even for a single-payer, Medicare-for-all program, as Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed again this week. (Meckler, 8/18)

The Hill: Dems Doubtful Of Sanders Health Push

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) renewed push for a government-run healthcare plan is getting a tepid reception from Democrats, with some saying he is waging a losing battle. Long-time “public option” supporters like Sanders believe Aetna’s decision to flee the ObamaCare marketplaces this week proves what they’ve been saying all along: that the time has come for a new government-run healthcare plan in the United States. (Ferris, 8/18)

Read past KHN coverage on exactly what the public option is.

Meanwhile, in other 2016 campaign news, The Washington Post fact checks Donald Trump's claims about Clinton's health —

The Washington Post's Fact Checker: Trump’s Claim That Clinton Lacks The ‘Physical Stamina’ To Be President

Two days in a row, in prepared speeches, Trump asserted that that his rival Clinton lacks “mental and physical stamina” to do the job as president. That’s surely no accident, but a campaign official did not respond to a query about why the GOP presidential nominee was making this claim. We assume Trump’s rhetoric is related to a not-so-quiet campaign among right-leaning news entities to highlight “concerns” about Clinton’s health, often shared on social media with #HillarysHealth. Our colleague David Weigel has already taken a good look at the smorgasbord of junk science being used to promote such claims. (Kessler, 8/18)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription