Health Insurance Quote Reform : EasyToInsureME : 7/21/09

This Week in Health Care Reform

 
After weeks of logjam on
Capitol Hill, lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have reported
progress in their respective negotiations this week, clearing way for a
possible vote on sweeping health care reform legislation after the
August recess.

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Public Plan

House Democrats Reach Compromise: After weeks of infighting, House
Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee came to an agreement on
Wednesday that would shave $100 billion off the House bill's original
price tag of more than $1 trillion. The Energy and Commerce Committee
resumed marking up the legislation Thursday, but the full House will
not vote until after the August recess.

Congressional Budget
Office (CBO) on House Plan:  The CBO helped the House Democrats' case
for a public option when it reported that under the proposed
legislation , most people would still choose employer-based coverage
rather than a government-run option. The CBO stated that, given the
individual mandate, more employees would sign up for coverage through
their employers. However, the latest analysis also stated that the
proposal would still increase budget deficits.

Senate May
Choose Co-Op Over Public Option: Senate Finance Committee negotiators
indicated that they were close to reaching a bipartisan deal that would
include a co-op modeled public plan. The proposal being discussed would
include a tax on insurers and would use non-profit cooperatives to
compete with private insurers. The proposal would also not include an
employer mandate.

Alternative Plans

House Republicans
Unveil $700B Plan: On Wednesday, House Republicans unveiled a $700
billion health care plan that would offer tax deductions and credits to
assist individuals in purchasing insurance, as well as take on medical
malpractice. According to House Republicans, the proposed plan would be
fully paid for, but CBO has yet to officially assess the cost of the
legislation.

Financing the Plan

New CBO Score on
Senate Bill: The Senate Finance Committee got a boost when the CBO
estimated the latest version of the Committee's health reform bill
would cost less than $900 billion. The bill would cover 95 percent of
Americans by 2015 and would be fully paid for in the first 10 years,
according to Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT).

Tax on
"Cadillac Plans" Gains Momentum:The Senate Finance Committee's option
to tax insurers on high-value "Cadillac plans" has attracted support in
the Senate, and it seems senior House Democrats are warming to the
financing proposal. A spokesperson for America's Health Insurance Plans
voiced opposition to the plan, and many assert that a tax on insurers
will ultimately be passed down to consumers.

CBO Rates
Independent Panel: CBO reported this week that the proposed independent
panel to oversee payments by Medicare would result in just $2 billion
in savings over 10 years.

Additional Activities

AARP
Voices Concern: President Obama held a town hall-style meeting at the
American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) Washington headquarters
this past week to address growing concerns among seniors about health
reform and subsequent cuts in benefits. Polls show that senior citizens
are more skeptical about health care reform than any other age group.
Consequentially, AARP has had to walk a careful line in endorsing the
House bill. Earlier this week, AARP expressed disappointment in the
lack of progress in the Senate, saying that Senators have "failed to
act."

Looking Ahead

House lawmakers plan to conclude
work this week and break for a month-long recess, returning to their
districts to further discuss health reform efforts. The Senate will
recess on August 7th.