Quoted: DIA (Drug Information Association)

Both Sides Prepare For Today’s Supreme Court Healthcare Ruling.

Each of the three network newscasts devoted a segment to today’s Supreme Court decision. Notably, Brian Williams, on NBC Nightly News (6/27, story 4, 1:40), emphasized the perceived benefits of the Affordable Care Act, including provisions that help families with sick children purchase insurance, while Jake Tapper, on ABC World News (6/27, story 5, 2:50) profiled a family in Wisconsin unable to acquire insurance due to their daughter’s preexisting kidney ailment until Congress passed the ACA.

Also this morning, the AP (6/28, Sherman, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports that the “clear winners if the law is upheld…would be uninsured people in the United States, estimated at more than 50 million,” adding that the US “would get closer to other economically advanced countries that guarantee medical care for their citizens.”

Brian Williams, on NBC Nightly News (6/27, story 4, 1:40), noted that because of the ACA, “children can be covered on their parents’ policies until the age of 26 and they can’t be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions.” Williams continued, “Also in effect already, free preventive screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies.” NBC’s Pete Williams added, “The Obama Administration says if the mandate goes away…then likely the things that will cost the insurance companies more will have to go too, such as pre-existing condition coverage for adults.”

Jake Tapper, on ABC World News (6/27, story 5, 2:50, Sawyer), profiled the Raether family of Wisconsin, whose daughter Mira “was born premature, and needed dialysis and, eventually, a kidney transplant.” Tapper said the Raethers’ “health insurance reached its maximum payout and no insurance company was willing to offer her a policy because of her pre-existing condition,” but the Affordable Care Act “allowed the Raethers to buy insurance…since it made it illegal to deny or limit insurance based on a child’s pre-existing condition.”

On the other hand, Jan Crawford, on the CBS Evening News (6/27, story 4, 2:15, Pelley), reported that “most Americans oppose” the individual mandate, and noted that a “recent CBS News/New York Times poll showed 68% want the court to either strike down the mandate or overturn the entire law.” Crawford added, “The mandate is believed to be the first time Congress has ever ordered people to buy a product.”

Shannon Bream, on Fox News’ Special Report (6/27, Baier), reported that a “brand new Fox News polling (6/27) shows Americans remain opposed to what is arguably the President’s top legislative success. While 39% favor it; 49% say they remain opposed to the healthcare law. When it comes to how they view the President’s handling of healthcare, 43% say they approve, while 51% disapprove.”

The AP (6/28, Pace, Peoples) says the President and Mitt Romney “are both primed to use the ruling — whatever it is — for political gain.” The Los Angeles Times (6/28, Parsons, Mascaro, Hennessey), in an article titled, “White House Unusually Quiet Before SupremeCourt Healthcare Ruling,” reports that “a White House that so often pre-spins the news has maintained a studied silence about Obama’s plans,” and “won’t even say whether he will make a public appearance or statement Thursday.” According to the Times, “The White House will probably remain silent for at least 45 minutes to an hour, one official said, while everyone studies the opinion” and “White House lawyer Kathy Ruemmler will take the lead in discussing it with the president.”

States Consider Response To SCOTUS Decision.The AP (6/28, Subscription Publication) reports, “As the nation awaits the Supreme Court ruling on President Barak Obama’s health care overhaul, states across the country are considering how they will respond to the historic decision.” While “some Democratic-led states vow to push ahead with various provisions no matter what happens,” elected officials in some Republican territories “insist they will try to hold off onimplementing the law, even if the court upholds it.” Meanwhile, “most states are bound to miss key deadlines if the law or even pieces of it survive.” In a separate piece, the AP (6/28, Subscription Publication) details “where each of the 50 states stands.”

The Wall Street Journal (6/28, Radnofsky, Burton, Levitz, Subscription Publication) reports that state healthcare policymakers do not expect that the ruling will diminish the skyrocketing cost of Medicaid substantially, which, according to the Journal, is their main area of concern. The Journal says that if the court overturns the ACA, the onus will be on states to craft their own solutions, but if it is upheld, most states willneed to rush to implement the insurance exchanges established by the law.

Bill Setting Up Pennsylvania Health Data Exchange Now Awaits Signature.The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (6/28, Tolland) reports that in Pennsylvania, a measure establishing the framework of the state’s “first statewide health information exchange was approved by the state House this week, and is on its way to the governor’s desk. Republican Gov. Tom Corbett intends to sign it, according to a spokeswoman.” Passed earlier in the month, “Senate Bill No. 8…sets up the Pennsylvania eHealth PartnershipAuthority, which will oversee the development of the exchange.”

South Dakota Delays Work On Implementing Affordable Care Act.The AP (6/28, Brokaw) reports, “South Dakota has done little to carry out President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul since it was passed two years ago, and that won’t change much no matter how the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the law.” As the AP explains, “Gov. Dennis Daugaard has delayed the state’s work on setting up a health insurance exchange, which would help people and small businesses buy private insurance, to seewhether the Supreme Court will throw out the law. Even if the high court upholds the law, the Republican governor says he’ll wait until the November election, when he hopes voters will elect a Republican president and Congress that would repeal the measure