Overnight Healthcare: Obama calls for adding public option to ObamaCare

President Obama is calling on Congress to add a “public option” to ObamaCare to improve his signature health law.

The pitch from Obama comes after he abandoned pursuit of a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers during the long legislative battle over healthcare because of opposition from some Democrats in Congress.

{mosads}The new embrace from the president also comes amid what appears to be a concerted push by the Democratic Party to rally around the public option.

It’s a shift that reflects how the party has tilted leftward during the Obama years.

Hillary Clinton emphasized a public option in an announcement Saturday that was interpreted as a play for supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who ran a surprisingly strong campaign against her for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Obama touts progress made under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) while laying out work for the future. He also calls for an increase in the financial assistance that the law provides, acknowledging that some families still “struggle with premiums.”

The article is the result of a months-long review of what is and is not working in the ACA, requested by Obama late last year, the White House said. Read more here: http://bit.ly/29wAr2i

Lots of fighting but no breakthrough on Zika funding

The Senate’s Republican and Democratic leaders battled Monday over funding to fight the Zika virus, a clear sign that lawmakers have yet to break a stalemate days ahead of a seven-week recess.

Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) tried to bring up the Senate’s original deal — spearheaded by Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) — that would provide $1.1 billion in funding.

“Instead of wasting time, we should be responding to the real Zika emergency,” Reid said from the Senate floor. “Remember, we passed out of here a bill, 89 votes. It wasn’t everything we wanted. It was a compromise.”

The Senate bill doesn’t include an offset for the Zika money, which earned immediate backlash from House Republicans.

McConnell blocked Reid’s request. Instead, he tried to bring up the GOP-supported House-Senate conference report, to which Reid objected. Read more here: http://bit.ly/29RzuHe

Groups demand Ryan halt Planned Parenthood investigation

Dozens of liberal-leaning advocacy groups are demanding that GOP leaders immediately halt their probe into Planned Parenthood, which they argue sets a “dangerous precedent” for congressional investigations.  

In a scathing letter sent Monday, the groups urge Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to disband the 10-month investigation that they claim exists solely for political purposes.

“We believe the panel’s actions offend basic standards of fairness and respect for the rights of American citizens,” the groups wrote in a letter provided to The Hill.

Republicans formed the House Select Panel on Infant Lives last fall in the wake of viral, secretly recorded videos alleging Planned Parenthood had illegally profited from fetal tissue donations.

More than a year later, no officials at Planned Parenthood or its partner organizations have been charged with a crime. State investigations have also come up empty; a grand jury in Texas chose to indict two of the makers of the videos instead. Read more here: http://bit.ly/29tUejk

ON TAP TOMORROW

The House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing on ObamaCare premiums at 10 a.m.

WHAT WE’RE READING

Top health officials fear Congress will leave without approving Zika funds (USA Today)

Trump VP short-lister Flynn clarifies abortion stance, says he’s ‘pro-life’ (Fox News)

IN THE STATES

Michiganders could see health insurance rate hikes on ObamaCare marketplace (MLive)

South Dakota governor touts Medicaid expansion plan (Argus Leader)

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