Health Reform in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee on Ways and Means Committee on Education and Labor

Fact of the Day The House public health insurance option must be self-sustaining as private plans are, and build start-up costs and contingency funds into its rates, just like private plans.

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Health Resources Majority Leader Clearinghouse HealthReform.gov MedPAC Alliance for Health Reform National Health Policy Forum Kaiser Family Foundation Families USA Commonwealth Fund Robert Wood Johnson Foundation RAND Health Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Partnership for Prevention Trust for America’s Health Synthesis Project

At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $34,683,409,258 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured.

Under the Microscope

SMALL BUSINESS AND HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM

Tying in to today’s Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the High Cost of Small Business Health Insurance, the Secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, and Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills released a new report, “Insurance At Risk: Small Business Employees Risk Losing Coverage.”  The  report examines the health care status quo and finds that small business employees are 50 percent more likely to lose coverage.  In addition, it notes how small businesses face financial difficulties under the status quo when providing health insurance to their employees. The Senate also had a hearing today on Sensible Health Care Solutions For America’s Small Businesses.

Health Care Headlines

Public Option Gains Support
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public.
[Washington Post, 10/20/2009]

Health Insurance Worries Keep Rising
The number of Americans worried about losing their current health care coverage keeps rising, even as President Barack Obama and a Democrat-led Congress strive to extend society's safety net to cover the uninsured, a new poll has found. [Associated Press, 10/20/2009]

Senate Stymied On Medicare Payment Fix
The Medicare physician payment fix before the Senate is facing two major hurdles today: The bill does not have the necessary 60 votes, and House Democratic leaders said they would not take up the Senate's version even if it did pass.
[CongressDaily, 10/20/2009]

White House Pushes To Shape Health Bill
Proponents of revamping the nation's health care system will hold phone-bank events in 50 states today. Here in the nation's capital, a coalition of more than 100 liberal interest groups will convene its weekly meeting, with health care atop the agenda. Congressional leaders will seek to meld five health care bills into two for House and Senate votes. [USA Today, 10/20/2009]

Finance Releases Full Health Bill
Senate Democratic leaders now have two complete pieces of legislation to draw from as they write a compromise health care overhaul. Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., introduced legislative language and a committee report Monday for the bill (S 1796) that his panel approved Oct. 13. The legislation joins a measure (S 1679) that the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved July 15.
[CQ Today, 10/19/2009]
Read the legislative language or the conceptual language as amended.