Progress on health insurance plan
Alex Wayne at Congressional Quarterly:
The health care overhaul under development by House Democrats would subsidize insurance premiums for families earning as much as four times the poverty level, while expanding Medicaid and improving its payments to health providers.
Staff of the three House committees with jurisdiction over the emerging bill — Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor — have compiled a three-page outline of the legislation, which they call a “tri-committee” proposal. The plan would require individuals to obtain insurance and employers to help pay for it, and would create a government-run insurance plan that would compete with private insurers, according to the outline.
Leaders of the three committees briefed the full House Democratic Caucus on their outline Tuesday. “We will continue to seek input and work closely with our colleagues, outside stakeholders, and the administration and are on track to introduce legislation shortly, the trio said. “We anticipate committee action on health reform in the coming weeks, with legislation on the House floor prior to the August district work period.”
The plan would make major changes to Medicare, including replacing a much-criticized formula for determining physician payment rates. The formula has required cuts in doctor’s rates most years since 2000, forcing Congress to intervene to block the cuts under pressure from physicians. The outline calls the formula “flawed,” but replacing it to avoid the annual payment cuts will cost billions of dollars a year.
The legislation would eliminate …
