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

Fact of the Day H.R. 3962 provides incentive payments to physicians practicing in areas that are identified as being the most cost-efficient areas of the country, many of which are in rural America.

Follow Health Insurance Reform facebook     twitter

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 $36,476,852,008 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured.

Under the Microscope

MANAGERS AMENDMENT FILED

Last night, at approximately 10 p.m., the Manager’s Amendment for the Affordable Health Care for America Act was filed and posted on the Rules Committee web site.  The House Speaker and Majority Leader are fulfilling their commitment to post online both the full bill text and the Manager’s Amendment 72 hours prior to a vote on H.R. 3962.  Republicans also cobbled together and filed a substitute last night.

House Dems Unveil ‘Managers Amendment,’ Set Stage For Floor Vote
"House Democrats have cleared the way for a pivotal floor vote on health care overhaul as early as the weekend, after tweaking their 1,990-page bill to crack down harder on insurance companies," The Associated Press reports.
[Kaiser Health News, 11/4/2009]

Health Care Headlines

People With Pre-Existing Conditions Would Pay More Under GOP Health Plan
People with pre-existing medical conditions would pay up to 50 percent more for insurance coverage under a draft version of House Republicans’ health care plan. [Roll Call, 11/3/2009]

Plan Creates New Program To Pay For Long-Term Care
One provision of the health-care legislation with broad potential impact on Americans isn't about health insurance. Instead, it would create a new federal long-term care benefit that would pay cash to people who become disabled.
[Wall Street Journal, 11/4/2009]

Insurance Discounts For Healthy Habits Spur Debate In Washington
Who could object to rewarding people who quit smoking, lose weight or start to exercise? The American Cancer Society and the American Heart Assn., for starters. [L.A. Times, 11/4/2009]

Health Care: A Matter of Mandates
Health insurance companies are easy to demonize. They deny claims for procedures and drugs, sometimes thwarting doctors and sticking unwitting patients with the bill. [CQ Weekly, 11/2/2009]
Read how the individual mandate is constitutional.

OPINION: High-Risk Pools
By Ezra Klein
Republicans like to bring up so-called "high-risk pools" as an alternative to health-care reform.
[Washington Post, 11/3/2009] Read a related piece.

OPINION: Where’s the Republican Bipartisan Alternative?
By Tim Fernholz
Yesterday, I was reading about how the administration's health-care strategy is poised to produce a health-care reform bill, but one that is not bipartisan. [American Prospect, 11/3/2009]