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Health Reform in the House
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Fact of the Day
H.R. 3962 creates new and increased penalties for those who commit fraud, provide misleading information to investigators or the public, or block investigations or audits of Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
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Health Resources
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At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $36,234,987,308 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured.
Under the Microscope
GETTING THE FACTS
As opponents of health insurance reform find ways to attack H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, be sure to check the Speaker’s MythBusters web site daily, and the White House’s Reality Check site for facts about health insurance reform.
Also, today at 3:30 PM EST, Senior Advisor to the President, Valerie Jarrett, held an extended online chat to discuss how health insurance reform will impact minority communities and all Americans. Go to facebook.com/WhiteHouse or WhiteHouse.gov to view the discussion.
Health Care Headlines
Obama Shepherds Health Bill
As health care reform legislation inexorably makes its way through Congress, President Barack Obama, who has the biggest stake in its success, has seemed distant from the grueling, detailed work of crafting the reform law. [Politico, 11/2/2009]
States Likely To Shape Health Reform
The debate over whether to let states opt out of any government-run health insurance plan overlooks a key facet of the health-care measures being assembled in Congress: When Washington is done, the shape of any new health-care system is likely to be finalized in Lansing and Boise and Baton Rouge.
[Washington Post, 11/1/2009]
After All The Fuss, Public Health Plan Covers Few
What's all the fuss about? After all the noise over Democrats' push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in: Two percent. [Associated Press, 11/1/2009]
House Bill Would Allow Feds To Negotiate Medicare Drug Prices
When Congress added prescription drug coverage to Medicare a few years back, the drug industry won a huge victory: The new law barred the federal government from negotiating on the prices Medicare pays for prescription drugs. [Wall Street Journal, 10/30/2009]
Hospitalized Children Without Health Insurance Are More Likely To Die, A Study Finds
Uninsured children who wind up in the hospital are much more likely to die than children covered by either private or government insurance plans, according to one of the first studies to assess the impact of insurance coverage on hospitalized children. [New York Times, 10/30/2009]
Humana 3Q Profit Jumps On Government Programs
Health insurer Humana Inc. rode its strong government business in posting a 65 percent jump in third-quarter profit Monday, as bulging membership and premiums from Medicare Advantage overcame a lackluster commercial segment hampered by the weak economy. [Associated Press, 11/2/2009]
Read about Health Reform and Medicare Advantage here or watch a video from the White House.
Tears And Fears Flood Congress On Health Care
Tom Skare wants lawmakers negotiating a health care overhaul to know he's running out of options.
[Star Tribune, 10/29/2009]
Employer Mandate Becomes Sticky Issue In Reconciling Bills
Of all the elements of a health care bill that the Senate and House will have to reconcile, one of the thorniest is the issue of the so-called employer mandate. To what degree will Congress require employers to provide health insurance for their employees? [New York Times, 10/31/2009]
Republicans Aim For Rival Health Plan In House
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to offer an alternative to Democrats' massive healthcare reform bill that would not raise taxes or require people or businesses to buy health insurance, the House Republican leader said on Sunday. [Reuters, 11/1/2009]
Read about what Republicans are doing in the Senate.
EDITORIAL: Mandates and Affordability
If Congress approves health care reform, virtually all Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. That raises a fundamental question: Will the policies be affordable? [New York Times, 11/1/2009]
OPINION: Hearts, Minds And Health Care
By E.J. Dionne Jr.
The next health-care fight has already started. It's the battle to define the bill that President Obama will eventually sign as a victory for consumers, taxpayers and the common good. [Washington Post, 11/2/2009]
Read the top 14 provisions that take effect immediately.
OPINION: Reform Should Focus On Patients
By John R. Seffrin, CEO, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
We must fix the broken health care system for cancer patients and for millions of others with life-threatening chronic diseases, and we must do it this year. [Politico, 11/2/2009]
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