New Health Care Reform Bill Revealed
Last night Harry Reid and Ben Nelson announced that they reached an agreement on the health care reform bill and Nelson will vote for the bill. The agreement has to do with the anti-abortion language in the bill. From a quick read of the amendment (read at the link) it appears that the new language allows states to pass laws to prevent public money for being used to cover abortion services in the health care exchange.
The new bill has been revealed this morning (warning: PDF). Here are the talking points on the new bill, as provided by Senate Democratic aides:
The manager’s amendment builds upon the strong bill we already have.
Protects our good coverage, cost, and affordability number
* Reduces Deficits — estimated to save over $130 billion first ten and roughly $650 billion second ten
* Expands Coverage — over 94 percent of Americans under 65 years of age, including over 31 million uninsured
* Reduces Costs — most Americans will see their health care costs reduced relative to projected levels
Makes health care more affordable for Americans by expanding small business tax credits
* $12 billion increase
* Begins in 2010
* Expands wage thresholds for tax credits
Demands greater accountability from insurance companies/ creates more choice and competition
* Medical Loss Ratio 85/80 percent — Insurance companies will be forced to spend more money on care and less money padding their bottom line.
* Starting immediately children cannot be denied health coverage due to pre-existing conditions
* Insurance companies who jack up their rates will be barred from competing in the exchange.
* Give patients the right to appeal to an independent board if an insurance company denies a coverage claim
* Health insurers will offer national plans to Americans under the supervision of the Office of Personnel Management, the same entity that oversees health plans for Members of Congress.
* Provides significant resources for Community Health Centers
Think Progress‘s Wonk Room (another must-read if you’re following the health care debate) weighs in on the manager’s amendment:
The new managers amendment to the merged Senate bill incorporates Sen. Bob Casey’s (D-PA) language strengthening the segregation of private and public funds and increasing federal support for adoptions, with a new provision that would allow states “to prohibit abortion coverage in qualified health plans offered through an Exchange in such State if such State enacts a law to provide for such prohibition” (page 38 of the amendment).
In other words, states can opt-out of abortion coverage that goes beyond the Hyde amendment. A state may also repeal the prohibition and allow plans in the exchange to offer abortion coverage, so long as those procedures are financed with private premiums.
In states that don’t prohibit abortion coverage within the exchange, federal dollars can only be used to pay for abortions when the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother or results from rape or incest; private premiums must be used to pay for any other type of abortion, including those for health reasons.
The managers amendment also gives state Commissions of Insurance the ability to audit insurers to ensure compliance with the segregation of funds in states where abortion is available, increases the Adoption Tax Credit and federal support for adoption.
Nelson also snagged some additional Medicaid funds for his state. This sounds like a good change to the bill for me considering the financial burden on the states right now:
Under the current merged legislation (the version unveiled on November 18th), the federal government fully finances care for the expanded population for two years and increases its matching funds (known as FMAP) thereafter. Page 98 of the managers amendment specifically identifies Nebraska for higher federal matching funds, fully funding its expansion for an additional year.
Tags: Health Care Reform
CBO score is $871B.
$871B. Pretty good!
Also, the talking points sound good. We must understand that we are not going to get the bill many of us want, but political realities must be faced at this point, otherwise we have nothing.
What still worries me is that another Nelson might pop up with more demands. Enough is enough now!
My position remains unchanged: We must pass a bill, because we must get HCR started. There probably will not be another opportunity for some years. This is really critical! Thus, I do not agree with Howard Dean et al. Simply put, we can always work to add and repair, easier done than a start from scratch.
To get this done, the WH has to get aggressive and get everyone in line, quickly, to get the Senate Bill passed. Forget the Repubs, since they have had ample chance to add something positive — they have nothing but contempt, all for the sake of political gain.
And UI, thanks for all your efforts at keeping us informed. You have done a yeoman’s task and a great job!
John McCain had the typical republican response. “The best thing government could do to ensure more Americans have access to health care insurance is to institute reforms that would rein in costs and make health care more affordable,” said McCain, R-Ariz.
LOL. And what exactly are those reforms you speak of? Let’s see them in writing. Put up or STFU.
Since everyone who holds out seems to get their christmas list fulfilled, why hasn’t carper or even kaufman dragged their heels. We did just lose 2 major plants, and could use the free cash and programs. Kaufman would be the better choice because he is stepping down after this term anyway.
A good place to watch the developments is the TPM live health care wire.
Newest developments: Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) is unhappy with the Nelson compromise language. It’s being reported that he’s working behind the scenes with GOP leadership.
Funny: the Bo-tax went away (the tax on voluntary cosmetic procedures) but now there’s a tax on tanning beds (the Boehner tax).
Demorats now own this sucker! The lame and corrupt were easily maneuved by a few small state neo con corporate prostitutes into voting for an insurance giveway. Give yourselves a big hand dems, the pooch has been screwed for 40 more years.
From Wonk Room, differences between the new and old Senate bill:
The community health center funding was specifically demanded by VT Sen. Bernie Sanders. Good job Sen. Sanders!
For people worried about the penalties in the individual mandate – people who can not find a policy for 8% of their income or less will be exempt from penalties. So this idea of food vs. insurance is not a true one.
The passage of the health care reform bill will be a big triumph for President Obama, no matter that the public option got killed. Getting a bill through unprecedented Republican obstruction is a big, big deal. Remember “it will be his Waterloo?”
Waterloo
ah yes, “it will be a success, no matter what it is”
I call bullshit:
* Reduces Costs — most Americans will see their health care costs reduced relative to projected levels
the government gives them a coupon, we pay the costs on the front end and then with our tax money. Then, magically after about 10 years just like any bubble our government creates with subsidized tax breaks, the cost will slowly rise once again.
Just like cash for clunkers increased the value of used cars. Just like the First time home buyers credit helped bounce back the housing bubble…
* Reduces Deficits — estimated to save over $130 billion first ten and roughly $650 billion second ten
all that and they are fudging the numbers because they are playing fast and loose with the dates the program is actually starting. So the CBO isn’t calculating the true costs.
* Insurance companies who jack up their rates will be barred from competing in the exchange.
The exchange isn’t starting right away which is how they are saying it is reducing the deficit…
* Give patients the right to appeal to an independent board if an insurance company denies a coverage claim
Yes, congrats, you get to have insurance. What’s that? You have cancer? Ok, $30,000 a year.
Sign here
here
and
here!
Wooohoooo I’m insured. Again….bullshit.
I mean seriously, et tu UI?
* Expands wage thresholds for tax credits
the economics behind this are just mind blowing.
I can deciphere this for those that might not know what it means:
concession to Insurance compaines
in short the cost of health care is not going down. Our government is just picking up the tab and nothing changes…
I thought the Pharma deal under Bush was bad. This is going to be so awesomer!
“For people worried about the penalties in the individual mandate – people who can not find a policy for 8% of their income or less will be exempt from penalties. So this idea of food vs. insurance is not a true one.”
So if you can’t find a policy for less than 8% of your income you don’t have to pay a fine (and presumably you remain uninsured, too), but if an insurance company offers you a crappy policy for 7.9% of your income, you have to buy it or face government fines. So you don’t think the insurance companies aren’t going to know how to game this to the make sure that there are an 7.9% policies available with higher deductibles and co-pays?
I am sure that that there are just millions of working families out there that have 8% of their income to spend on buying corporate jets for insurance executives. Nevermind that they need to pay for food, shelter, and transportation to keep their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet now. The government knows what’s best for us.
The peasants have no food? Let them eat their insurance policies.
“Thank you for the crumbs, sir.”
Health insurance company stocks up 10% since mid-November. This is just another scheme to redistribute wealth from the lower and middle wage earners to the owners of America.
Don’t you know that I’d like to take Lieberman, Nelson and Stupak and send them to a desert island somewhere? I do!
This bill is better than the status quo. Do I think it’s great? No. I wish we were going to single payer. But I do think there’s good things in this bill. I just don’t think that people who think “start over, it’s crap” are living in reality. If the bill dies, it dies for years. Killing the bill will kill chances for progressive reform for years.
I know health insurance does not equal health care but I think this bill is something we can build on. Now the government is going to start absorbing the costs of health insurance premium increases. That means we’ll start addressing it. The status quo is just not acceptable anymore. Unfortunately change is a lot slower and more difficult than we hoped or thought.
I think there’s a lot of lessons we’ve learned from this fight. One being that progressives have been incredible politically naive.
There’s no way that a health care reform bill will be seen as Obama wins, Republicans lose. Mainly because Republicans have placed all their bets on stopping reform. And they lost that bet. The ultimate judge on whether Democrats win will be whether people find insurance more affordable.
Does it piss me off that insurance companies win, Lieberman wins? Yes, it does!
I hope we use the lessons we learned and the passion that was shown to keep pushing for reform, including the public option and Medicare buy-in.
Does this explain how I feel DV?
people who can not find a policy for 8% of their income or less will be exempt from penalties.
Income during which year? People don’t make stable incomes anymore.
I love the $1 a month fee to correct other people’s irresponsible mistakes. But then again, since it only seems that we are heading into a more government dependant society, maybe $900 a lifetime is a bargain. Wow, now that I look at it that way, maybe they should add in mandatory abortions for people that wouldn’t be able to support the kids. I’d pay 5 or 10 dollars a month for that.
Unstoppable: Its pure bs to state it would take years for health care reform to start again. The State of Pa, Vermont, Maine, California and Delaware (to name a few) all have single payer bills before their legislatures. Thats one way to deal with the issue.
On a federal level, when the Congress and Senate have been bought out by the insurance companies, permitting the insurance companies cartel to write the bill, delivering 33 million people into the arms of these corrupt insurance companies, thats not reform, its a sell out.
For those who believe you will pay 8% of your salary on health care, guess again. The figure is 17%, you will pay more for health care under this plan than your mortgage and food.
Howard Dean is right. If his suggestions are not followed the democrats will go down in history as turning their backs on women, delivering a health care plan that will be disasterous for the nation. This bill does nothing to reign in insurance companies and their profits. It means corporations will continue to take our jobs overseas to avoid health care costs. This idea that lets pass anything and fix it later is a real hoax. The democrats just want to get out of dodge and get home for the holidays and therefore will pass anything no matter how bad it is. The republicans are in the desert as they long ago deserted the citizens and stand totally and firmly in the pockets of ALL big business. Time to start a new party one that actually works for the majority of americans. Anyone who can state with a straight face, “while 70% of americans wanted a public option or would accept a medicare buy in, and both houses of Congress and the White House are in democratic hands, shows how weak democrats when confronted with deals they make for themselves to keep their power, and actually supporting the majority of its citizens. Its another ponzi scheme.
If people weren’t pissed enough at the power-drunk Dems before, they likely are now…
These tools like Nelson will soon regret the day they did this for Obama, he’ll pull all them right-over the abyss with him… and the coming GOP majority will just rescind it anyway-
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
Start another party, I’m fine with this. I really think there should be three – the left, the right and the middle. In the meantime, how will we get progressive legislation passed?
I’m still waiting for convincing evidence that the status quo is better than the health care bill. I need a more convincing argument than “I hate insurance companies.” We all do. We all know what the status quo is – with 45M uninsured, double digit growth in costs per year, and medical bankruptcy. This bill does address a lot of these issues though it could be better. At least the government will start seeing some of this cost and it will give them more incentive to really start fixing things.
I think one of the best things that came out of this fight was the idea of the Medicare buy-in. It was very popular, so it’s an idea we should keep pushing.
I think another lesson I learned is the importance of enforcing party discipline. I won’t give a dime to a Senate candidate who won’t pledge not to filibuster with Republicans. I think it should be a requirement to join the caucus. We should also push Democrats to enforce this rule.
Good point, UI, which is why I no longer give money to the generic DNC. I hand pick the candidates and give to them.
Look at what is really in front of the Vermont Leg. Key bit:
Wonder why that looks familiar?
Yes, Cassandra, I think some of the fight will move to the states. I guess here’s a chance to do state co-ops or regional co-ops. It’s not as good as a federal public option but perhaps we’ll see some experimentation.
Some of what the bill’s critics from the left are asking for seems really impossible – which is a fundamental restructuring of the way the U.S. does things. I’m not sure why they thought a limited public option was going to do this – we would still have for-profit insurance companies and most people would get their insurance through them. To me, the public option was always a small step to a better system – a single payer system. After all my reading though, I was very worried that the pubic option they were talking about would not work as hoped. It sounded like it would become a dumping ground for sick people so then it would be more expensive and Republicans would tout is a failure.
Right now, the left has set themselves up as fierce critics of the for-profit insurance industry. Every time we see a rate increase there will definitely be a “see I told you so” moment there. I do think this sets us up for future victories in the future.
Some of what the bill’s critics from the left are asking for seems really impossible – which is a fundamental restructuring of the way the U.S. does things.
I think that this is right and I’d go further to say that they saw themselves as getting queued up to get single payer from the Pubic Option. The path to single payer would be easier if there was a Public Option that looked like Medicare for All or provided a Medicare Buy In that expanded the pool of people who could buy in over time so that at some point everyone could have Medicare if that is what they wanted. This Public Option has not been on the table since summer. But we have lots of folks still fighting for something that really does not get them where they want — but has the right name. And yes the House has a Public Option and although Nancy Pelosi talks about it as a strong option, there is nothing especially strong about an option which limits the number of people who can be in it.
The For Profit insurance industry deserves every bit of criticism that they get. And every “I told you so” over rate increases will be about as informed as those who think that the House Public Option gets you something. Rate increases are a given. Because costs do go up. Which is true even in single payer countries. The difference between the two is that most single payer countries go about their health care business differently than we do — very little fee for service. What was really clear in the late spring, early summer, is that the Congress decided that they could figure out how to cover more people with insurance or expansions of existing programs but they could not change the health delivery model. There is alot in both bills that provides test beds to trying out ways to do this. But they could not find a way to just re-orient the entire system to the Mayo Clinic delivery model which delivers great outcomes for less money.
WHERE IS THE TORT REFORM (10% OF ‘MEDICAL COSTS’) – CRIMINALS!