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 health insurance reform bill would create a national pre-enrollment screening program to determine whether potential Medicare providers or suppliers have been excluded from other federal or state programs or have a revoked license in any state.

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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 $34,813,330,210 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured.

Under the Microscope

DEMOCRATS ASK: WHERE IS THE REPUBLICAN HEALTH REFORM BILL?

This morning, Democratic Members went to the Floor to speak about the need for health insurance reform and point out how Republicans have failed to offer a comprehensive alternative as they promised to do more than four months ago.

SURVEYS OUT TODAY

With findings similar to yesterday’s Washington Post/ ABC News Poll, two new polls out today show that a majority of Americans trust President Obama over Republicans on health care. The polls also show strong support for Democratic health insurance reform proposals. Read about the poll in USA Today and view the CNN Opinion Research Poll.

And a new Families USA study entitled “One-Two Punch: Unemployed and Uninsured”  provides a state-by-state analysis of the impact of rising unemployment on the number of uninsured.

Study Links Losses Of Jobs, Health Insurance
"People who receive a pink slip experience a double whammy," Ron Pollack, Families USA executive director, said yesterday during a telephone news conference about the group's analysis of census and unemployment data. "They not only lose their jobs, but they usually lose their health coverage as well. That's why health reform is so important."
[Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/21/2009]

Health Care Headlines

Insurance Exchanges Called Key To Health Care Puzzle
Supporters of health care reform told senators Tuesday that insurance exchanges are a critical part of proposed health care legislation for small businesses, which are cutting jobs and coverage to keep up with insurance costs. [San Francisco Chronicle, 10/21/2009]

White House Relies On Core Health Care Team
Months ago, when President Obama made healthcare his top domestic priority and picked the White House team to make it happen, he selected individuals for just this moment -- not for the beginning or the middle of the campaign, but for the end of the fight. [L.A. Times, 10/21/2009]

Pelosi Asks for Whip Calls on ‘Robust Public Option’ Following CBO Report
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Democrats on Tuesday to unite behind a health care overhaul that includes a strong government-run insurance plan for people under age 65, backed by preliminary figures suggesting that the proposal would produce greater cost savings than its alternatives. [CQ Today, 10/20/2009]

Reid: AMA Had Promised Support For Fix
Senate Majority Leader Reid today blamed the American Medical Association for overplaying GOP support for a permanent Medicare physician payment fix that he tried to bring to the floor. A cloture vote on the bill failed this afternoon, when it got just 47 votes. [CongressDaily, 10/21/2009]  Read a related article.

Liberals Increase Pressure for Public Insurance Plan in Health Bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid is facing intensifying pressure from liberal lawmakers to revive a proposed government insurance plan before health-care reform legislation reaches the Senate floor, amid signs that moderate Democrats may be warming to the idea. [Washington Post, 10/21/2009]

Centrists Jockey for Next Phase
Senate health care talks entered a crucial stage Tuesday as Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) was drawn deeper into the negotiations, Democratic moderates jockeyed to position themselves, and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) prepared to make some tough decisions. [Roll Call, 10/21/2009]

GOP Spies Spin Opportunities
Republicans believe their war against President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul drive will be buttressed by two events mostly outside the president’s control: the election of a Republican governor of Virginia and the unavoidable necessity of raising the debt limit. [Roll Call, 10/21/2009]