October 21, 2009

The Week in Health Care Reform

Federal Legislative Overview
Senate
On
Tuesday, October 13 the Senate Finance Committee approved Chairman Max
Baucus’ amended “America’s Healthy Future Act” by a vote of 14-9.
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) was the only Republican who joined all 13
Democrats in supporting the bill. After the vote Snowe stated, “Is this
bill all that I want? Far from it. Is it all that it could be? No. But
when history calls, history calls. And I happen to think the
consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress to take every
opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues
of our time.” She went on to say, “My vote today is my vote today, it
doesn’t forecast what my vote will be tomorrow,” quelling any
predictions for what her vote will be on the Senate floor.

The
legislation has now moved to Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV)
office, who will work hand-in-hand with key Democratic leadership in
the Senate, as well as the White House, to craft a single bill. This
process will likely take weeks and we do not expect it to reach the
Senate floor until November.

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House
Speaker
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) continued to say this week that the merged bill in
the House of Representatives will have a “robust” public plan – meaning
that provider reimbursement rates will be tied to Medicare. This is the
opposite of the agreement made in Henry Waxman’s (D-CA) Energy &
Commerce Committee with Blue Dog Democrats, in which payment rates
would be negotiated.

Interestingly enough, Rep. Mike Ross
(D-AR), the leader of the Blue Dogs’ Health Care Task Force, who was
vehemently against a public health insurance option during reform
debates in July, came out this week saying that he supported the idea
of opening Medicare to those under 65 without insurance. He later
backpedalled and said, "I do not endorse this idea, as it was just one
of many ideas we, as legislators, have brought up and discussed in the
numerous, ongoing negotiations and discussions we have had on
healthcare reform over the past several months." Ross has changed his
mind numerous times during this debate. After he negotiated the deal in
the Energy & Commerce Committee in July he faced significant
opposition from conservative constituents during the August recess. He
then returned from recess stating that he couldn’t support a public
option. Ross’ statements show how difficult the push and pull will be
in the upcoming weeks over key provisions in the health care reform
bills.