The pundits were right this time. The Republicans strengthened their control of the Senate and the Dems took the House. President Trump maintains control over judiciary appointments and has gained a foil in the House with Nancy Pelosi, which arguably plays into Trump’s political plan for the 2020 election. His hold on the Republican Congress wasn’t all that firm prior to the midterms anyway.
But the real action that we will soon see is in the states. Four states are joining 33 of their brethren, plus the District of Columbia, in adopting Medicaid expansion. The Democrats cleaned up in the governor races flipping 7 states so far with a number of races still undecided. New York has become even bluer as the New York State Senate is now also under Democratic control, creating the potential for seriously impactful partisan legislation in that state.
So healthcare will continue to be fascinating to watch. Look for action on drug pricing; but developing consensus at the federal level and then enacting that consensus with the states is going to be tough. No doubt this is setting up healthcare as a key issue for 2020. Get ready for the debate about single-payer to heat up.