What We're Reading: Kavanaugh Hearings; Texas ACA Lawsuit; 2019 Premiums Stabilize

Democrats Will Use Kavanaugh Confirmation to Mobilize for Midterms

Senate Democrats plan to use the confirmation battle for Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States to mobilize their base around threats to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the social safety net, and reproductive rights to build victories for November midterms, Politico reported. Democrats have a very slim chance to stop the nomination of the appellate court justice, and say they are planning to ask hard-hitting questions on a variety of topics. But Senate Republicans have already signaled they’ll rebuff efforts to divine Kavanaugh’s views on active cases.

Texas Lawsuit on Legality of ACA to Begin

Against the backdrop of confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh in the nation’s capitol, a Texas courtroom will be the setting Wednesday for another critical chapter in the fate of the ACA. A group of Republican attorneys general will face off against a group of Democratic attorneys general in a lawsuit aimed at striking down the ACA. The Republicans say that when Congress eliminated the individual mandate for not having health insurance as part of last year’s tax bill, lawmakers rendered the entire health law unconstitutional. While the defendant is technically the Trump administration, the administration announced it would not fully defend the law in court, Kaiser Health News reported.

2019 Marketplace Premiums to Increase an Average of Less Than 4%

Consumers who buy insurance through ACA markets will find premiums have stabilized in 2019, NPR reported. In addition, insurers are expanding their offerings. The price of a 2019 policy sold on the ACA exchanges will increase less than 4%, according to an analysis of preliminary filings from insurers in all 50 states by ACASignups.net, a website and blog run by analyst Charles Gaba that tracks ACA enrollment and insurer participation.