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A Look Back at Election Day 2018 and a Look Forward to Health Care in 2019

To:    Interested  Parties

From:    Leslie Dach, Chair, Protect Our Care

Brad Woodhouse, Executive Director, Protect Our Care

Date:    November 14, 2018

Re:     A Look Back at Election Day 2018 and a Look Forward to Health Care in 2019 ————————————————————————————————————————————————

By focusing like a laser on Republican efforts to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act, Democrats were able to make health care the most important issue in the 2018 midterm election and as a result take over the House and deliver key wins in the U.S. Senate and statehouses. In addition, Medicaid expansion proved to be a potent issue for voters who approved ballot measures to expand the program in three states and elected Medicaid-friendly governors in several more more.

The bottom line: last Tuesday voters sent a clear message to their elected officials, particularly Republicans, that the GOP war on health care must end and that their relentless repeal and sabotage agenda must stop.  They sent Democrats to Washington and to state houses across with a clear mandate — protect the affordable care act, block republican sabotage, reduce health care costs and increase coverage and protections.

Health Care Was the Most Important Issue to Voters, Fueling a Democratic Majority in the House of Representatives

According to national exit polls, voters said health care was the most important issue by a two-to-one margin compared to the second most important issue, immigration, 41 percent to 23 percent, and Democrats won those voters 77 percent to 22 percent. Among the competitive GOP-held districts, Democrats had an 8 point advantage on health care, 52 to 44 percent. When it comes specifically to protecting people with pre-existing conditions, voters preferred Democrats over Republicans by a 24-point margin, 58 percent to 34 percent.

Let’s not forget why this happened. On May 4, 2017, the Republican House of Representatives passed a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have ripped health coverage away from millions of people, raised health costs for working families by double digits, imposed an age tax on older Americans, slashed Medicaid, and gutted protections for people with pre-existing conditions – all while giving big insurance and pharmaceutical companies hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks. It was the most unpopular major piece of legislation Congress had considered in decades. And when that legislation was rejected by the Senate, instead of accepting the will of the people, President Trump and House and Senate Republicans doubled down and turned to sabotage and the courts to repeal health care.

Health Care Was a Big Driver for Women and Independent Voters Particularly

Health care particularly resonated with women and Independent voters. 67 percent of women and 62 percent of Independents said health care was very important or the most important issue. Women trusted Democrats over Republicans on health care 56 percent to 40 percent. Independents trusted Democrats over Republicans on health care 57 percent to 35 percent.

Health Care a Key Factor in the Arizona and Nevada Democratic Senate Victories and Propelled Other Vulnerable Democrats to Victory —  Stopping Republicans From Their Plans to Take Over the Senate

The 2018 Senate map overwhelmingly favored Republicans. Of the 35 races, 26 of them were held by Democrats. Ten Democratic senators were facing re-election in states President Donald Trump won in 2016. The map was so lopsided that right after the 2016 election, some mused Republicans could potentially reach a filibuster-proof 60 seats.

That prediction did not happen. In fact, Democratic senators in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio easily won their re-elections while senators in West Virginia and Montana held onto their seats too. Thus far, Republicans only defeated incumbent Democratic senators in Missouri, Indiana and North Dakota. There is currently a recount happening in the Florida senate race.

However, Democrats were able to limit these Republican wins by picking up Republican-held seats in Nevada and Arizona. And the reason: health care. An exit poll conducted for Protect Our Care in Nevada found that health care was the top issue for voters in that state — 65 percent of voters said health care was the most important or very important issue — and those voters picked Democrat Jacky Rosen over Republican Dean Heller 68-28. Not to mention Sen. Dean Heller was a co-sponsor of the Republican health repeal bill in the Senate, and that hurt him. Only one-third of voters said his support for repeal made them more likely to vote for him, while 42 percent said it made them less likely to vote for him.

In Arizona, health care defined the race between Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Martha McSally. As the Arizona Republic reported, “Sinema made [health care] the centerpiece of her campaign from the outset. Everywhere she went, she reminded people of her votes to maintain the Affordable Care Act, the eight-year-old federal law commonly referred to as Obamacare, which Republicans have tried to repeal or roll back.” It worked. McSally told Sean Hannity before the election that she was getting her “ass kicked for it right now” because of her vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

So, for all the talk about huge Republican gains in the Senate this year, Republicans may only end up netting one seat.

Medicaid Won at State Houses Across the Country, and 500,000 People Will Gain Health Coverage As a Result

Medicaid was a big winner from the 2018 elections as well. Voters in three states that had not expanded Medicaid previously voted overwhelmingly to expand the program, and by significant margins. Idahoans approved the ballot measure to expand Medicaid with 61 percent of the vote. In Nebraska, it was 53 percent of the vote. And Utah voters approved the ballot measure with 54 percent of the vote.

Moreover, Democratic wins in several gubernatorial races mean that lawmakers will most likely expand the program, having defeated candidates who had opposed expansion.

In Maine, Governor-elect Janet Mills pledged to expand Medicaid, which Mainers had approved in 2017 but Governor Paul LePage had been refusing to do.

In Wisconsin, Governor-elect Tony Evers defeated Governor Scott Walker. Evers made Walker’s refusal to expand Medicaid an issue in the 2018 race.

In Kansas, Governor-elect Laura Kelly made Medicaid expansion a big part of her campaign. The Kansas legislature had passed a Medicaid expansion bill in 2017 but Governor Sam Brownback vetoed it.

As a result of these actions in states across the country, 500,000 people will gain health coverage.

The Road Ahead: An End to the GOP War on Health Care and a Democratic Agenda to Lower Costs and Expand Protections and Coverage  

The message from the 2018 election is this: Republicans must end their war on health care and Democrats must deliver on protecting and improving the Affordable Care Act with a focus on lowering costs and expanding protections and coverage.

While a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives means the GOP’s legislative repeal agenda is effectively over, threats to our health care remain.

The Trump Administration is continuing to brag about its efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. They are pushing short-term “junk” plans that allow insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. They cut outreach efforts for the open enrollment period that ends on December 15th.

The President went to court to overturn protections for pre existing conditions  — taking protections away from 130 million Americans — and a decision by a Republican appointed judge is expected any day.

If Republicans continue on this path, this week’s elections show voters are more than ready to hold them accountable.

Instead, voters want the 116th Congress to protect the Affordable Care Act, stop Republican sabotage, lower health care costs and increase protections and coverage.  And they want states to prevent Trump sabotage within their own borders.

Americans want lower health care costs by:

  • Allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices for seniors and taxpayers
  • Providing more help for people to afford their premiums and deductibles
  • Ending surprise bills
  • Stopping drug companies from raising prices on critical medications just because they can

Americans want an end to sabotage including:

  • A ban on junk plans that can deny you coverage altogether or charge you more for the care you need when you get sick
  • Fully funding and enthusiastically supporting open enrollment
  • Support for a more stable insurance market rather than efforts to undermine it
  • Robust oversight of the Trump Administration’s sabotage efforts and its cozy relationship with drug industry lobbyists

Americans want Medicaid and Medicare strengthened, not gutted:

  • An end to HHS waivers that put paperwork like so-called work requirements in the way of deserving and eligible Americans receiving Medicaid
  • An end to the relentless efforts to cut funding for Medicare and Medicaid to pay for Republican tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations including insurance and drug companies.
  • Administration support for efforts to expand Medicaid in states where it hasn’t been and approval of waivers to make coverage more accessible.

The Continuing Role of Protect Our Care

Protect Our Care was formed in the aftermath of the 2016 election that saw Donald Trump, who ran on ripping the Affordable Care Act apart, elected President.  With Trump in the White House, and Republicans in charge in the House and the Senate, Protect Our Care was, in advocacy terms, the ultimate Hail Mary pass. With many writing the ACA’s obituary, our purpose seemed to be relegated to extending the life of the law as long as we could and making Republicans pay a political price for ultimately repealing it.

But the spring of 2017 told a different story. The Women’s March signaled a new resistance and a town hall spring was all about health care. Protect Our Care translated that energy into the defeat of repeal in Congress.

In the year since, and throughout 2018, we worked to make voter’s concern about health care into the dominant issue in 2018. Our efforts took our work to more than half the states, including an 11,000-mile, 24-state bus tour and work on the ground in dozens of competitive House and Senate races.

In 2019, Protect Our Care remains fully committed to the fight to protect our care. We will continue to hold Republicans accountable for their repeal and sabotage agenda, and devote our resources to pushing legislative action to reduce costs, and increase coverage and protections. Our health care war room, our ears-to-the-ground government affairs team, our network of consultants and operatives leading our efforts in the states, our digital operation and our deep and strategic investments in public opinion and message research will continue unabated.

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After The GOP Was Routed On Health Care, Another Republican Is Running To Take Away Americans’ Care

Washington, D.C. – Last week health care delivered a Democratic wave, giving Democrats control of the House of Representatives, flipping more than 30 House seats, two Senate seats and electing seven health care champions as governor, while Medicaid expansion was handily approved in three conservative states. As the Mississippi Senate race goes to a run-off, Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, released the following statement:

“When not making racially incendiary remarks, Cindy Hyde-Smith is plotting to take away Mississippians’ health care. Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, 147,000 Mississippians have gained coverage and the uninsured rate has fallen twenty-seven percent, with the uninsured rate for children falling more than fifty percent. But despite these gains in a state that ranks 50th in overall health, Cindy Hyde-Smith not only refuses to support Medicaid expansion, which would extend coverage to 300,000 Mississippians, but continues to call for repeal of the ACA. It’s unconscionable. How much longer must Mississippians suffer due to the Republican war on health care?”

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Mississippi Ranks 50th In Overall Health. “Mississippi ranks 50th for the second year in a row in the United Health Foundation’s health rankings. The foundation specializes in clinical expertise and health data, focused on making the country healthier. The report cites the state’s challenges with obesity, children in poverty and high rate of cardiovascular deaths as integral to the last-place ranking. Specifically, Mississippi also ranks last place for women’s and children’s health, as well as senior health. The report assesses not only health outcomes but also access to medical care. The report shows that Mississippi ranks in the bottom 10 states for dentists, mental-health providers and primary-care physicians.” [Jackson Free Press, 12/14/17]

Cindy Hyde-Smith: “Believes The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Better Known As Obamacare, Should Be Repealed.” “Senator Hyde-Smith supports common-sense, patient-centered healthcare reforms to help Mississippi families afford health insurance coverage without expanding the government’s role in providing health care. She believes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, should be repealed.” [HydeSmith.Senate.Gov, accessed 11/13/18]

Mike Espy Has Made Health Care A Priority In His Campaign.  “In winning control of the House last week, Democrats focused on health care and in particular, protecting insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. The provision is perhaps the most popular part of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Espy has also made the issue a priority. On Friday, the campaign asked people to share stories related to health care. In a statement that day, Espy said: ‘I’ll stand up for everyone with pre-existing conditions, defend Medicare and take on the drug companies to make sure prescription drugs are affordable.’ Hyde-Smith supports repealing and replacing Obamacare.” [CNBC, 11/12/18]

Mike Espy: “Will Protect And Defend The Parts Of Our Health System That Currently Are Under Attack, Such As For People With Pre-Existing Conditions.” “Mike Espy will protect and defend the parts of our health system that currently are under attack, such as for people with pre-existing conditions. He believes strongly in increasing access for Mississippians to treatment programs to fight the current epidemic of opioid and substance abuse. He believes that Mississippians should have full access to the services and programs that are available to many other Americans through expanded funding of Medicaid and CHIP.” [Espy for Senate, accessed 11/13/18

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Protect Our Care Endorses Nancy Pelosi for Speaker

Washington, DC – Upon Democrats taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Protect Our Care issued the following statement announcing the organization’s endorsement of U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker:

“Protect Our Care is pleased to announce our enthusiastic endorsement of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House of Representative in the 116th Congress,” said Leslie Dach, founder and chair of Protect Our Care. “Leader Pelosi is a true health care champion, always has been. The American people have Leader Pelosi to thank for passing the Affordable Care Act nearly ten years ago and for leading the fight every day since then to keep it strong. With clear-eyed determination over the past two years, Leader Pelosi has skillfully led the Democratic caucus in unanimously fighting the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans’ repeated efforts to repeal and sabotage the law. With unrelenting discipline, Leader Pelosi made health care the number one issue in the midterms, which delivered the House to Democrats and flipped more than 30 seats held by pro-repeal Republicans.

“The American people elected Democrats to lead the House because they want to stop Republicans’ sabotage, lower health care costs, protect Medicaid and Medicare and finally check this Administration’s cozy relationship with drug and insurance company lobbyists,” added Brad Woodhouse, the executive director.  “No one is better prepared to lead a united Democratic caucus in protecting and improving American health care than Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. How do we know? Because she’s done it before.”

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In Stories, News

The Reviews Keep Coming: Health Care Wins Big

As Democrats swept the House, governorships, and state legislative seats across the country, one common theme emerged: health care won big. Candidates who ran on health care saw much success. Voters in three conservative states elected to expand Medicaid, voters elected governors in Maine and Kansas who ran on Medicaid expansion, and  Wisconsin voters elected a governor who vowed to put an end to efforts that would restrict access to Medicaid.

Health care’s big night did not go unnoticed. Check out how it was covered:

Associated Press: Obama’s Health Insurance Overhaul A Winner In Midterms. “The personality looming over the 2018 midterms was President Donald Trump. The issue was health care, the top concern for voters as they decided how to cast their ballots. This week’s election showed a nation increasingly — if belatedly — in step with former President Barack Obama’s approach to it. Health care was the top issue for about one-fourth of voters, ahead of immigration and jobs and the economy, according to VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 115,000 voters and about 22,000 nonvoters conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.” [Associated Press, 11/8/18]

Bloomberg Editorial: A Wave Election For Health-Care Reform. “After an election campaign centered largely on health care, voters delivered their most emphatic message on the issue — not to Congress, but to the governments of red states. Expand Medicaid to cover a bigger share of the low-income population.” [Bloomberg, 11/8/18]

Mother Jones: “Biggest Winner: Obamacare.” “Biggest Winner: Obamacare. Democrats ran on health care and won. Several red states passed Medicaid expansion. The GOP’s lies about pre-existing conditions obviously didn’t stick. And Obamacare itself is now safe for another two years from Republican attempts to repeal it. I hesitate to say this since I’ve said it before, but I think this is the final hoorah. By 2020, Obamacare will be six years old. Republicans will have tried multiple times to repeal it and failed. They will have taken on pre-existing conditions and pre-existing conditions will have walloped them.” [Mother Jones, 11/7/18]

Vox: “Republicans Lost Their House Majority In The 2018 Midterm Elections, And They Can Thank Their Own Obamacare Repeal Efforts.” “Republicans lost their House majority in the 2018 midterm elections, and they can thank their own Obamacare repeal efforts. Democrats campaigned hard against Republicans for backing legislation last year that would unwind the law’s protections for preexisting conditions, and health care came in as the No. 1 issue for voters, according to exit polls…The president went along with the establishment Republican agenda, but repeal proved devastatingly unpopular when the GOP actually tried to pass it, and voters made them, and Trump, pay the price on Election Day. It seems an issue Trump doesn’t care all that much about and doesn’t even really seem to understand very well broke the GOP’s iron grip on Washington…That’s what Trump chose to spend his precious political capital on — an ideologically motivated crusade to cut federal benefits for millions of Americans, a policy platform that almost always leads to electoral disaster.” [Vox, 11/7/18]

Washington Post: On Tuesday Night, GOP Faced “Moment Of Reckoning” On Issue Of ACA. “The GOP faced a moment of reckoning on an issue that helped them ascend to power in 2010 and which some now believe has been part of their downfall…In television ads, stump speeches and debates, Democrats called out Republicans for trying to undo the ACA. They focused attention on the law’s protections for people with preexisting medical conditions and urged voters to envision the consequences of losing those safeguards.” [Washington Post, 11/7/18]

Alyssa Milano: “The American People Sent House Lawmakers A Message: When You Attack Our Health Care, We Will Kick You Out Of Office.” “On Tuesday night, the American people sent House lawmakers a message: When you attack our health care, we will kick you out of office. For nearly two years, Republicans in Congress and the White House repeatedly sabotaged black, white and brown Americans’ access to health care: They thought they could get away with attacking the Affordable Care Act and protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and they were wrong. Let’s be clear: The Republican Party attacked Americans’ access to health care — and it cost them the House of Representatives.” [CNN, 11/7/18]

Vox: “Medicaid Had A Stunning Victory At The Polls Last Night. “Medicaid had a stunning victory at the polls last night. Three red states — Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah — passed ballot initiatives that will expand the public health insurance programs. Two states — Kansas and Maine — elected governors that are likely to join the Medicaid expansion, too. And one state, Wisconsin, put a Democratic governor in office who could roll back plans to require Medicaid recipients to work.” [Vox, 11/7/18]

NPR: Medicaid Expansion — “A Winning Idea.” “Voters in three traditionally Republican states supported ballot measures to extend Medicaid benefits to more low-income adults. The results highlight the divide between voters, even in conservative states, who generally support providing health benefits to the poor, and conservative politicians who have rejected the expansion, which is a central part of the Affordable Care Act.” [NPR, 11/7/18]

Politico: Tuesday’s Big Winner: Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion. “Tuesday’s election will likely bring Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, which nearly two-thirds of states have adopted, to the most conservative parts of the country. It could soon come to Kansas, where Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly defeated Republican Kris Kobach, a close ally of President Donald Trump. Kansas lawmakers approved Medicaid expansion last year, but then-Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed it.” [Politico, 11/7/18]

HuffPost: “Republicans Fought The Health Care Law And The Health Care Law Won.” “Republicans fought the health care law and the health care law won….And it was the GOP’s repeal effort specifically that ended up causing the party so many problems, in no small part because Democrats did everything they could to make it an issue. In district after district, state after state, Republicans came under withering attack for trying to take away Medicaid and, especially, for trying to take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions.” [HuffPost, 11/7/18]

Politico: “Democrats Ran On Obamacare And, Finally, Sailed To Victory.” “Democrats ran on Obamacare and, finally, sailed to victory. The party that bet on surging enthusiasm for the Affordable Care Act flipped control of the House Tuesday night in what could amount to a major reset of the political direction on health care. Democrats also made gains at the state level, wins in gubernatorial races that could prompt new expansions of Medicaid and energize lawmakers, who can claim they have a mandate to further build on a law that serves as the bedrock of their domestic agenda. Voters in three states also approved Medicaid expansion through the ballot, defying Republican officials who long refused the program. But Republicans kept – and enlarged – their Senate majority.” [Politico, 11/6/18]

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Tom MacArthur: Good Riddance

Washington, D.C. – Following Andy Kim’s victory over Tom MacArthur in New Jersey’s third district, Leslie Dach, founder and chair of Protect Our Care, released the following statement:

“Tom MacArthur was the face of the GOP’s health care repeal and the face of what is wrong with Washington. The MacArthur Amendment was the fig leaf Republicans hid behind as they giddily voted to take away protections  from 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. Tom MacArthur paraded around as a moderate friend of health care while driving the Republican war on health health care. He never faced a close election until this year, when Andy Kim, a health care champion, ran on maintaining the protections Americans count on and turned a seat that had been Republican-held for all but one term over the previous 26 years blue. Tom MacArthur, good riddance.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Andy Kim Appears With Care Force One: On September 26, Andy Kim appeared at Care Force One’s stop in Willingboro, New Jersey. “I’m the father of two baby boys, and my youngest baby was someone who had significant health problems right from the very beginning,” he said. “I remember when the doctors told us that he was dangerously underweight and had real risk. And it reminded me of how many families in this country and this community have health care crises and are unsure of how they’ll be able to afford it.” [Protect Our Care, 9/26/18]

New Jersey Voters To Tom MacArthur: “You Are The Reason I Can’t Sleep At Night.” “The American Health Care Act wouldn’t have passed had MacArthur not come up with a provision that won the support of the House Republican conference’s most conservative members. MacArthur’s amendment allowed states to seek waivers from the federal requirements that insurers offer a specific package of benefits and not charge more to those with pre-existing conditions such as cancer or diabetes. The more than 300 people who filled the John F. Kennedy Center here let the lawmaker know time and time again what they thought of his efforts to pass legislation. ‘You brought it back from the dead,’ said Derek Reichenbecher, a teacher from Point Pleasant. ‘It’s yours. You own it.’ Geoff Ginter’s wife Colette is free from cancer, but they’re worried that the illness will return and that they won’t be able to pay for her treatment should he lose his job as certified medical assistant. ‘You are the reason I can’t sleep at night,’ Ginter, of Pine Beach, told MacArthur. ‘You came after my wife.’” [NJ.com, 5/7/17]

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In News

About Last Night: Health Care Won

Health Care Delivers Control of the House, the Speaker’s Gavel and At Least 29 Seats to Democrats in the House

Senators Baldwin, Brown, Manchin Win On a Health Care Message; Repeal Cheerleader Dean Heller Defeated by Health Care Champion Jacky Rosen

Wisconsin, Kansas, Maine, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada and New Mexico Elect Health Care Champions Governor

Idaho, Nebraska, Utah to Expand Medicaid

Watch the Video

Washington, D.C. – In response to the outcome of the 2018 midterm elections, which delivered clear and resounding health care victories for the American people, Leslie Dach, founder and chair of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement:

“Americans in overwhelming numbers rejected the war on health care that has defined the Republican party for almost a decade. With health care propelling Democrats to leadership of the House, leadership of key states and leading voters in three deep red states demanding Medicaid expansion, the American people sent a clear and unmistakable message against the Trump-GOP agenda of repeal and sabotage and for a mandate to protect our care, starting with lower prescription drug prices and continued protections for people with pre-existing conditions.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: HEALTH CARE WON

NATIONWIDE, HEALTH CARE DROVE VOTERS TO DEMOCRATS:

Washington Post: Health Care Was The Top Issue.

It was the most important issue when voting for the House:

It was the most important issue among Democratic voters, who flipped 28 House seats:

[Washington Post, 11/7/18]

NBC News: Health Care Was The Most Important Issue For Independent Voters By 2-1 Margin.

[Sahil Kapur Twitter, 11/6/18]

NBC News: Health Care Was The Top Issue For The First Time In A Decade. “Voters were highly concerned about health care, according to preliminary exit polls on Tuesday, with more citing it as their top concern than the economy or any other issue — the first time in at least a decade that has happened. A plurality of 41 percent identified health care as the issue most important to their vote, which Democrats made the centerpiece of their campaign in races throughout the country.” [NBC News, 11/7/18]

  • Health Care Nearly Doubled Any Other Issue.

[NBC News, 11/6/18]

  • Voters Overwhelmingly Trusted Democrats On Pre-Existing Conditions. “Asked which party would better address Americans with pre-existing conditions, 58 percent said Democrats versus 34 percent who said Republicans.”  [NBC News, 11/7/18]

ABC News: Voters Overwhelmingly Backed Democrats On Health Care. “Health care: Voters by 58-34 percent pick the Democratic Party over the Republicans as more likely to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions, another central focus of the 2018 campaign.” [ABC News, 11/6/18]

Associated Press: “Health Care Was At The Forefront Of Many Voters’ Minds.” “Health care was at the forefront of many voters’ minds: 26 percent named it as the most important issue facing the country. Immigration was not far behind, with 23 percent naming it as the most important issue.Nearly 4 in 10 of those who voted for a Democratic House candidate named health care as the most important issue facing the nation, while about as many Republican voters considered immigration to be the top issue.” [AP, 11/6/18]

CBS News: Health Care Was Overwhelmingly The Number One Issue. [CBS News, 11/6/18]

New York Times: Women Broke Hard For Democrats, With Health Care Helping To Drive This. “The gender gap has remained relatively consistent since the 1980s, but it has been widening in recent years. Political scientists attribute this to women placing more of an emphasis on social welfare issues like health care and child care, which generally align with the Democratic Party, whereas men are more concerned with issues like taxes and national security.” [New York Times, 11/7/18]

HEALTH CARE TIPPED THE BALANCE OF THE HOUSE IN DEMOCRATS’ FAVOR:

Protect Our Care Exit Polling Found That Health Care Swept Democrats Into Victory:

  • In Competitive Republican-Held Seats Democrats Win, Health Care Was The Dominant Issue. “Across the competitive Republican-held seats – the ones Democrats needed to win to take the majority – health care was a defining issue for an overwhelming majority (63%) and Democrats had an 8 point advantage (52% to 44%) on the issue.”
  • Republicans Lost On Pre-Existing Conditions. “Voters trust Democratic candidates over Republican candidates by 17 points (51% to 34%) to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions, including by 33 points among independent voters, 56-23.”
  • Democrats Were Trusted Significantly More Health Care. “By an 8 point margin (52% to 44%) voters trusted Democrats over Republicans and President Trump on the issue of health care. This lead expanded to 22 points with independents at 57/35.”

TX-32: Colin Allred Used Health Care To Take Down 11-Term Representative Pete Sessions. “In North Texas’ most heated congressional race, health care has become the dominant issue. Longtime Republican Rep. Pete Sessions is facing his toughest political challenge in years from Democrat and civil rights lawyer Colin Allred for his North Dallas seat… Allred has attacked Sessions, stating that Sessions voted to end protections for people with pre-existing conditions. That’s accurate, though one could say that those votes were symbolic while President Obama was still in the White House. But last year, with President Trump in office and Republicans had the strength in House and Senate to repeal and replace Obamacare, Sessions also voted for a bill that analysts say would have weakened, but not eliminated, protections for people with pre-existing conditions.[KERA, 11/2/18]

IL-14: Lauren Underwood, Who Helped Implement The Affordable Care Act, Got Into The Race After Watching Randy Hultgren Voted For Repeal. “Hultgren, who has represented the district since 2011, told constituents at a town hall that he was ‘committed to voting no’ on any health care plan that would allow insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. ‘I took him at his word,’ Underwood [said]. ‘I said okay, at least we know that whatever might move forward out of the Congress would include protections for people like me.’ Underwood, who worked in the Department of Health and Human Services under Obama, has a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia, which keeps her heart from maintaining a normal rhythm… Less than a month later, Hultgren voted for the American Health Care Act, the GOP health-care plan that would have weakened protections for pre-existing conditions… ‘Then I was mad,’ Underwood says.” [Time Magazine, 11/2/18]

KS-03: Sharice Davids Made Health Care The Focus Of Her Race. “If the myriad mailers didn’t make it clear, the big blue bus parked near the Country Club Plaza should have: Health care is dominating the race between Republican U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder and Democrat Sharice Davids… Amid that backdrop the Davids-Yoder race for Kansas’ 3rd District and other contests that will decide which party controls Congress have become filled with health care-related mailers and TV spots that contain kernels of truth wrapped in exaggeration. Yoder did vote dozens of times to repeal Obamacare.” [Kansas City Star, 10/24/18]

MI-08: Mike Bishop’s Vote For Repeal Drove Elissa Slotkin Into The Race. “Before she passed away, Slotkin’s mother had struggled to get affordable insurance because of a pre-existing condition (she had survived breast cancer as a young mom). When Slotkin saw Bishop smile as he joined Trump at the White House to celebrate the GOP vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, she was enraged. ‘It was like Christmas for him,’ she says. ‘And I turned to my husband and I said, ‘No, You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to ignore your constituents and vote against their interests and keep your job.’” [Time Magazine, 11/5/18]

IA-03: Cindy Axne Found A “Winning Message” Calling Out David Young’s Health Care Record. “Axne, a first-time candidate who launched her campaign more than a year ago, found a winning message in calling out Young’s health care record. She was particularly critical of the Republican’s 2017 vote to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, a dominant issue in other tough GOP re-election bids around the country. ‘I will do whatever it takes and I will make sure that we never turn back the clock, that we always ensure that anybody with pre-existing conditions is covered,’ Axne said in her late Tuesday victory speech.” [Des Moines Register, 11/7/18]

NY-19: Health Care Was The Defining Issue In Antonio Delgado-John Faso Race. “The health care ads targeting Mr. Faso have been so prevalent that the constituent who confronted the congressman, Andrea Mitchell, has become something of a local celebrity, with strangers stopping her on the street to share their own health care stories. ‘It’s very strange,’ Ms. Mitchell said. ‘I’m hugged in the grocery store!’ The Faso health care ads originated from a protest outside his home in January 2017, his first month in Congress, when he met with unhappy constituents, including Ms. Mitchell, who told him of her conditions and asked him “as a human being” not to take away coverage of pre-existing conditions. ‘I promise, I promise, I promise,’ Mr. Faso said as they hugged.” [New York Times, 9/4/18]

NY-22: Anthony Brindisi Ran Against Claudia Tenney’s Repeal Vote. “The reason health care costs are spiking right now, Brindisi says, is because of attacks on the ACA. He notes that many health insurance companies are raising prices this year because of the recently passed tax overhaul that repealed the individual mandate, which required all Americans to have some form of health insurance or pay a penalty. Tenney voted for that legislation.” [WRVO, 8/9/18]

HEALTH CARE PROPELLED DEMOCRATS TO VICTORY IN SEVERAL KEY STATEWIDE RACES:

In Nevada, 65 Percent Of Voters Named Health Care A Top Issue, And They Backed Jacky Rosen By 40 Points. “65% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Rosen over Dean Heller 68-28.” [Public Policy Polling, 11/7/18]

In Wisconsin, Where Trump Won In 2016, Health Care Was The Top Issue For 68 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Tony Evers. “68% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Evers over Scott Walker 65-33.” [Public Policy Polling, 11/7/18]

Also In Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin Led Vukmir 4-To-1 Among Voters Who Said Health Care Was The Most Important Issue. “Baldwin led Vukmir by especially large margins among women, independents, and moderates. She led 4-to-1 among voters who said health care was the most important issue facing the country — and those voters represented about half the electorate.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/6/18]

In West Virginia, Where Trump Won By 42 Points In 2016, Health Care Was Top Issue For 41 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Joe Manchin. “Forty-one percent of West Virginia voters said health care was their most important issue, and they voted 72-21 for Joe Manchin.” [Geoff Garin Twitter, 11/6/18]

In Kansas, Where Trump Won By 20 Points In 2016, Health Care Was A Top Issue For Voters, Who Backed Laura Kelly To Flip The Governor’s Mansion. “About a quarter of Kansas voters considered health care to be the most important issue.” [AP, 11/6/18]

In Maine, Where Democrats Flipped The Governor’s Mansion And State Senate Health Care Dominated Advertising. Health care led the issues discussed on television advertising by Maine politicians running for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, a report by the Wesleyan Media Project released late Monday found. In Maine, 79 percent of the 19,847 ads run in October on broadcast TV and national networks and cable channels focused on health care, including the Affordable Care Act and health reform. The issue topped the list in August with 94 percent of the 3,287 total ads and in September with 73 percent of the 8,892 ads… Health care was mentioned more in pro-Democratic advertising, appearing in 57 percent of airings in October compared to 32 percent of pro-Republican airings.” [Bangor Daily News, 11/7/18]

In Ohio, Where Trump Won By 8 Points In 2016, Health Care Was Top Issue For 40 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Sherrod Brown. “Forty percent of Ohio voters say health care is their top issue. They went for Sherrod Brown 79-19.” [Geoff Garin Twitter, 11/6/18]

VOTERS TURNED OUT IN DROVES TO EXPAND MEDICAID IN FIVE NEW STATES:

Los Angeles Times: Medicaid A Winner. “Hundreds of thousands of poor Americans across the country look poised to gain health coverage, as Democrats made gains in key state elections Tuesday and voters in several Western states appeared to be backing measures to expand Medicaid… The most immediate coverage gains look likely to occur in Nebraska, Idaho and Utah, where ballot measures to expand Medicaid were comfortably ahead. But Medicaid expansion may also be on the way in Kansas, where Democrat Laura Kelly defeated a conservative Republican in the race for governor. The state’s GOP-controlled state Legislature had tried to expand the safety-net program under pressure from financially struggling hospitals in the state, but the expansion was blocked by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. A victory in Maine by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills should clear the way for that state to finally expand Medicaid coverage as well.” [Los Angeles Times, 11/6/18]

  • HuffPost: Medicaid Is A Big Winner On Election Day. [HuffPost, 11/7/18]
  • Axios: Medicaid’s Big Midterms Night [Axios, 11/7/18]
  • National Public Radio: A Winning Idea: Medicaid Expansion Prevails In Idaho, Nebraska And Utah [NPR, 11/7/18]
  • New York Times: Laura Kelly Wins Kansas Governor Seat Running On Medicaid Expansion. [New York Times, 11/6/18]

VOTERS DEMANDED AN END TO GOP REPEAL AND SABOTAGE AGENDA:

Chuck Todd: Midterm Voters Gave Democrats A Mandate To Protect The Affordable Care Act. “Midterm voters gave Democrats a mandate to protect the Affordable Care Act, NBC political director Chuck Todd said Wednesday. The moderator of ‘Meet The Press’ sees President Donald Trump working with Democrats on health care as ‘more possible than people realize.'” [CNBC, 11/7/18]

Politico: Voters Approved Medicaid Expansion In Three States, “Defying Republican Officials Who Long Refused The Program.” “Democrats ran on Obamacare and, finally, sailed to victory. The party that bet on surging enthusiasm for the Affordable Care Act flipped control of the House Tuesday night in what could amount to a major reset of the political direction on health care. Democrats also made gains at the state level, wins in gubernatorial races that could prompt new expansions of Medicaid and energize lawmakers, who can claim they have a mandate to further build on a law that serves as the bedrock of their domestic agenda. Voters in three states also approved Medicaid expansion through the ballot, defying Republican officials who long refused the program.” [Politico, 11/6/18]

Washington Post Editorial: “The Democrats Achieved Their Victory Tuesday Night In Large Part By Promising To Protect Health-Care Coverage.” “The new majority also has an opportunity to offer a positive legislative agenda. The Democrats achieved their victory Tuesday night in large part by promising to protect health-care coverage, especially for Americans with preexisting conditions. Though effective in winning over moderate voters, the campaign did not establish a clear mandate for much beyond that — eminently valid — objective.” [Washington Post, 11/7/18]

Forbes: “The People Have Spoken. Health Care Is A Mess And They Want It Fixed.” “According to Pew research, health care was the single biggest worry on the minds of the people as they cast their ballot. With large Democratic wins, control of the House and a pickup of seven Governorships, the people have spoken. Health care is a mess and they want it fixed. With President Trump and the Republican controlled Senate, what can the Democrats do to move the needle on fixing our health care system?” [Forbes, 11/7/18]

ashoup
In News

Polls Show: This Was The Health Care Election

For over a year, health care has been the dominant issue for voters of all backgrounds, and the midterm elections were no different. Health care was the top issue overall. Health care was the top issue for independents by a 2-1 margin. And in states Donald Trump won in 2016, health care powered Democrats to victory in senate seats and governors’ offices.

Washington Post: Health Care Was The Top Issue. [Washington Post, 11/7/18]

It was the most important issue when voting for the House:

It was the most important issue among Democratic voters, who flipped 28 House seats:

Protect Our Care Exit Polling Found That Health Care Swept Democrats Into Victory:

  • In Competitive Republican-Held Seats Democrats Win, Health Care Was The Dominant Issue. “Across the competitive Republican-held seats – the ones Democrats needed to win to take the majority – health care was a defining issue for an overwhelming majority (63%) and Democrats had an 8 point advantage (52% to 44%) on the issue.”
  • Republicans Lost On Pre-Existing Conditions. “Voters trust Democratic candidates over Republican candidates by 17 points (51% to 34%) to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions, including by 33 points among independent voters, 56-23.”
  • Democrats Were Significantly Trusted On Health Care. “By an 8 point margin (52% to 44%) voters trusted Democrats over Republicans and President Trump on the issue of health care. This lead expanded to 22 points with independents at 57/35.”

NBC News: Health Care Was The Most Important Issue For Independent Voters By 2-1 Margin.

[Sahil Kapur Twitter, 11/6/18]

NBC News: Health Care Was The Top Issue For The First Time In A Decade. “Voters were highly concerned about health care, according to preliminary exit polls on Tuesday, with more citing it as their top concern than the economy or any other issue — the first time in at least a decade that has happened. A plurality of 41 percent identified health care as the issue most important to their vote, which Democrats made the centerpiece of their campaign in races throughout the country.” [NBC News, 11/7/18]

  • Health Care Nearly Doubled Any Other Issue.

[NBC News, 11/6/18]

  • Voters Overwhelmingly Trusted Democrats On Pre-Existing Conditions. “Asked which party would better address Americans with pre-existing conditions, 58 percent said Democrats versus 34 percent who said Republicans.”  [NBC News, 11/7/18]

ABC News: Voters Overwhelmingly Backed Democrats On Health Care. “Health care: Voters by 58-34 percent pick the Democratic Party over the Republicans as more likely to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions, another central focus of the 2018 campaign.” [ABC News, 11/6/18]

Associated Press: “Health Care Was At The Forefront Of Many Voters’ Minds.” “Health care was at the forefront of many voters’ minds: 26 percent named it as the most important issue facing the country. Immigration was not far behind, with 23 percent naming it as the most important issue.Nearly 4 in 10 of those who voted for a Democratic House candidate named health care as the most important issue facing the nation, while about as many Republican voters considered immigration to be the top issue.” [AP, 11/6/18]

CBS News: Health Care Was Overwhelmingly The Number One Issue. [CBS News, 11/6/18]

In Ohio, Where Trump Won By 8 Points In 2016, Health Care Was Top Issue For 40 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Sherrod Brown. “Forty percent of Ohio voters say health care is their top issue. They went for Sherrod Brown 79-19.” [Geoff Garin Twitter, 11/6/18]

In West Virginia, Where Trump Won By 42 Points In 2016, Health Care Was Top Issue For 41 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Joe Manchin. “Forty-one percent of West Virginia voters said health care was their most important issue, and they voted 72-21 for Joe Manchin.” [Geoff Garin Twitter, 11/6/18]

In Nevada, 65 Percent Of Voters Named Health Care A Top Issue, And They Backed Jacky Rosen By 40 Points. “65% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Rosen over Dean Heller 68-28.” [Public Policy Polling, 11/7/18]

In Wisconsin, Where Trump Won In 2016, Health Care Was The Top Issue For 68 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Tony Evers. “68% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Evers over Scott Walker 65-33.” [Public Policy Polling, 11/7/18]

Also In Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin Led 4-to-1 Among Voters Who Said Health Care Was The Most Important Issue. “Baldwin led Vukmir by especially large margins among women, independents, and moderates. She led 4-to-1 among voters who said health care was the most important issue facing the country — and those voters represented about half the electorate.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/6/18]

In Kansas, Where Trump Won By 20 Points In 2016, Health Care Was A Top Issue For Voters, Who Backed Laura Kelly To Flip The Governor’s Mansion. “About a quarter of Kansas voters considered health care to be the most important issue.” [AP, 11/6/18]

ashoup
In News

NEW EXIT POLL: Health Care Fueled Rosen’s Election in Nevada

From: Tom Jensen, Public Policy Polling

To: Interested Parties

Subject: Health Care Fueled Rosen’s Election in Nevada

Date: November 7, 2018

A Public Policy Polling election day survey of Nevada voters found that health care was the top issue for voters in the state — and that they overwhelmingly favored Democrats on it, propelling Jacky Rosen to victory:

–65% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Rosen over Dean Heller 68-28.

-When asked to name the single issue most important to them in 2018, a plurality (30%) picked health care compared to 29% for immigration, 11% for taxes, 11% for the Supreme Court and 7% for security and crime. Among those voters who said health care was their single most important issue in the election, Rosen defeated Heller by a whopping 92-8 margin.

-Rosen especially had an advantage over Heller when it came to the issue of who voters trusted more to protect people with pre-existing conditions. 49% preferred Rosen on that to only 32% for Heller.

–Dean Heller’s support for the Republican health care repeal agenda hurt him badly. Only 33% of voters said his support for repeal made them more likely to vote for him, to 42% who said it made them less likely to.

-Heller’s stance on health care was also a high visibility issue in the race. 58% of voters said they had seen, heard, or read a lot about Heller’s position on health care recently and among those voters 59% said most of what they’d seen was negative to only 16% who said most of it was positive.

-An overwhelming majority of Nevadans want to see the Affordable Care Act stay in place– 61% think it should be kept with fixes made to it as necessary, compared to only 33% of voters who support repealing it.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 618 voters on election day in Nevada via telephone. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.9%.

ashoup
In News

NEW EXIT POLL: Health Care Fueled Evers’ Election in Wisconsin

From: Tom Jensen, Public Policy Polling

To: Interested Parties

Subject: Health Care Fueled Evers’ Election in Wisconsin

Date: November 7, 2018

 

A Public Policy Polling election day survey of Wisconsin voters found that health care was the top issue for voters in the state — and that they overwhelmingly favored Democrats on it, propelling Tony Evers to victory:

–68% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Evers over Scott Walker 65-33.

-When asked to name the single issue most important to them in 2018, a plurality (27%) picked health care compared to 25% for taxes, 15% for immigration, 8% for the Supreme Court, and 4% for security and crime. Among those voters who said health care was their single most important issue in the election, Evers defeated Walker by a whopping 89-7 margin.

-Evers especially had an advantage over Walker when it came to the issue of who voters trusted more to protect people with pre-existing conditions. 50% preferred Evers on that to only 41% for Walker.

–Scott Walker’s support for the Republican health care repeal agenda hurt him badly. Only 32% of voters said his support for repeal made them more likely to vote for him, to 47% who said it made them less likely to.

-Walker’s stance on health care was also a high visibility issue in the race. 56% of voters said they had seen, heard, or read a lot about Walker’s position on health care recently and among those voters 47% said most of what they’d seen was negative to only 30% who said most of it was positive.

-An overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites want to see the Affordable Care Act stay in place– 62% think it should be kept with fixes made to it as necessary, compared to only 32% of voters who support repealing it.

Public Policy Polling surveyed 702 voters on election day in Wisconsin via telephone. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.7%.

protectourcare
In News

Results are In: Medicaid Wins

Idaho, Nebraska, Utah to Expand Medicaid

Maine, Wisconsin, Kansas Elect Governors Buoyed by Support of Medicaid Expansion

 

Washington, DC – With voters demanding an expansion of Medicaid through referenda in all three states where it was presented, and electing champions of Medicaid Expansion to governor’s seats in others, Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, issued the following statement:  

“Pro-health care Democrats winning the House of Representatives over health care repealers was a resounding victory for health care, but that Medicaid will now be extended to hundreds of thousands of people who need it is just as important.  Even in conservative Idaho, Utah and Nebraska, voters delivered a sharp rebuke of the Republican war on health care by demanding that Medicaid finally, at long last, be expanded to the hardworking people in their state who need affordable coverage the most.” 

Leslie Dach, founder and chair of Protect Our Care, added: “In state after state Medicaid was on the ballot in 2018 and in state after state Medicaid won. This is a tremendous victory for Americans who will now have the added security of Medicaid expansion. Only one conclusion can be drawn from last night’s results, and that’s that the Republican war on health care has been soundly rejected.”  

IDAHO, NEBRASKA AND UTAH VOTERS EXPAND MEDICAID

By huge margins, Idaho, Utah and Nebraska voters elected to expand Medicaid through ballot initiatives.

  • Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion with more than 61% of the vote.
  • Nebraska passed it with 53%.
  • Utah approved it with 54%.

MEDICAID EXPANSION PROPELLED DEMOCRATS TO VICTORY IN SEVERAL GOVERNOR’S RACES

In Maine, Democrat Janet Mills Positioned Herself Opposite Her Predecessor By Running On Medicaid Expansion, Saying “Medicaid Expansion Is Good For Business And Good For The People Of Maine.” “Mills accused LePage of ‘obstructing the will of the people…My opponent, Shawn Moody, has said that he will work to repeal the law. I agree with the Maine State Chamber of Commerce that Medicaid expansion is good for business and good for the people of Maine,’ Mills said. ‘It will improve the health of Mainers. It will inject millions of dollars into our economy. It will create jobs, lower health care costs for Maine people and keep our rural hospitals open.’” [Portland Press Herald, 10/30/18]

In Wisconsin, Democratic Challenger Tony Evers Targeted Scott Walker For Not Taking Federal Medicaid Expansion. “Evers made health care the focus of his only television ad to date, faulting Walker for not taking the federal Medicaid expansion and pointing out that the cost of an average health insurance plan sold on the private market this year in Wisconsin was more expensive than in Minnesota. Walker argues the ad is misleading and health insurance costs will decrease in Wisconsin once a recently approved reinsurance program takes effect.” [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 9/7/18]

In Kansas, Democrat Lauren Kelly Pledged To Expand Medicaid. “Medicaid expansion could also come to one other traditionally conservative state, Kansas. The state legislature approved legislation to expand the program last year, only to have Republican Gov. Kris Kobach veto it. On Tuesday, Kobach lost his re-election bid to Democrat Laura Kelly. She has pledged to approve an expansion bill within her first year of office.” [HuffPost, 11/7/18]

In Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer Ran As a Champion of Medicaid Expansion. “As attorney general, [her opponent AG Bill] Schuette joined at least nine lawsuits fighting the Affordable Care Act. In a 2017 fundraising mailer, he said he opposed the law, ‘including the ‘free’ federal Medicaid dollars from Obama that leave Michigan taxpayers on the hook for more!’ ‘He has been the chief advocate against Healthy Michigan in our state ever since we started the bipartisan negotiations on it,” Whitmer told The Detroit News. ‘The biggest threat to health care in Michigan is Bill Schuette.’” [Detroit News, 9/18/19]

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