Thirteen Democrats joined all 40 Republicans to block a permanent repeal of Medicare's payment formula for doctors, with lawmakers concluding the legislation's $247 billion 10-year price tag was too steep in an era of record deficits.
The so-called "doc fix" is a near-annual ritual in Congress aimed at preventing physicians from turning away Medicare patients because they are paid too little for the visits. A 1997 deficit-reduction law established federal spending targets that were linked to economic growth, but when medical costs continued to rise at a faster pace, the net effect was to require a huge yearly cut to doctor reimbursement rates. As of Jan. 1, 2010, doctors are scheduled for another 21 percent decrease.
SOURCE: Washington Post
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
House Committee Votes Against Antitrust Protection
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A House committee has voted to strip the health insurance industry of its exemption from federal antitrust laws as senators announced plans to take the same step.
The moves Wednesday signaled a growing determination by Democrats to punish the insurance industry for its criticism of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul agenda. The House Judiciary Committee voted 20 to 9 to repeal a 1940s law that exempted the health insurance industry from federal controls over certain antitrust violations including price-fixing.
SOURCE: New York Times
The moves Wednesday signaled a growing determination by Democrats to punish the insurance industry for its criticism of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul agenda. The House Judiciary Committee voted 20 to 9 to repeal a 1940s law that exempted the health insurance industry from federal controls over certain antitrust violations including price-fixing.
SOURCE: New York Times
Cloture Vote on S. 1776 at 2:15 PM in Senate
Just in from Freedom Works VP for Policy Max Pappas:
Today’s cloture vote is key–if they get this through, they will have come through in buying off the doctors and will keep lying about the overhaul reducing the deficit.”
Tell [Senators] to oppose cloture on S. 1776. Supporting cloture is an endorsement of the Democrats’ strategy to pass Obamacare and will seriously increase the deficit.
SOURCE: RedState
“The Senate is going to vote cloture on S.1776 this afternoon around 2 pm."
Today’s cloture vote is key–if they get this through, they will have come through in buying off the doctors and will keep lying about the overhaul reducing the deficit.”
Tell [Senators] to oppose cloture on S. 1776. Supporting cloture is an endorsement of the Democrats’ strategy to pass Obamacare and will seriously increase the deficit.
SOURCE: RedState
Senate revisits public healthcare option
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Senate Democratic leaders, pressed by the party's liberal wing, are considering reviving a public option in the U.S. healthcare reform bill, lawmakers said.
The Senate Finance Committee bill doesn't include a government health insurance plan. However, the idea has gained strength recently as Democrats -- including moderates -- want to ensure that medical policies Americans would be forced to buy are affordable, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
SOURCE: United Press International
The Senate Finance Committee bill doesn't include a government health insurance plan. However, the idea has gained strength recently as Democrats -- including moderates -- want to ensure that medical policies Americans would be forced to buy are affordable, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
SOURCE: United Press International
Pelosi Prepares to Move Ahead With 'Robust' Public Option
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is on the verge of pushing ahead with a liberal version of the public insurance option in a health care overhaul, pending the result of a final survey of House Democrats on the issue.
[...] Pelosi asked Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and his team to spend the next 24 hours testing whether the proposal will gather at least 218 votes, top House aides said. Democratic leaders are also awaiting final estimates from the Congressional Budget Office on the preferred version — known as the robust public option — and two others that would rely on rates the federal government would negotiate with providers.
Liberal leaders sounded confident their version would garner the support it needs.
SOURCE: Roll Call
[...] Pelosi asked Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and his team to spend the next 24 hours testing whether the proposal will gather at least 218 votes, top House aides said. Democratic leaders are also awaiting final estimates from the Congressional Budget Office on the preferred version — known as the robust public option — and two others that would rely on rates the federal government would negotiate with providers.
Liberal leaders sounded confident their version would garner the support it needs.
SOURCE: Roll Call
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.
Snowe began working closely with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) this week, and the two met jointly with Reid on Monday and convened a group of six centrists — including fellow GOP moderate Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) — Tuesday afternoon to talk about health care.
With Reid aiming to finalize the merger of the Finance Committee package and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill this week, both Snowe and Nelson said they were looking to shape the final product in hopes of supporting it.
SOURCE: Roll Call
Snowe began working closely with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) this week, and the two met jointly with Reid on Monday and convened a group of six centrists — including fellow GOP moderate Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) — Tuesday afternoon to talk about health care.
With Reid aiming to finalize the merger of the Finance Committee package and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill this week, both Snowe and Nelson said they were looking to shape the final product in hopes of supporting it.
SOURCE: Roll Call
Insurance exchanges called key to health care puzzle
There are five different versions of health care reform bills, which now must be merged before the House and Senate can vote on the legislation.
Snowe said that she hopes the fines will not appear in the final legislation and that there will be a national exchange instead of smaller state or regional ones.
A national exchange, she said, is important for efficiency and competition, especially in small states like hers where there are few insurance options.
SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle
Snowe said that she hopes the fines will not appear in the final legislation and that there will be a national exchange instead of smaller state or regional ones.
A national exchange, she said, is important for efficiency and competition, especially in small states like hers where there are few insurance options.
SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle
Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 27% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -13.
[...] Support for the health care plan proposed by the President and Congressional Democrats is down to 42%. Fifty-four percent (54%) are opposed.
SOURCE: Rasmussen
[...] Support for the health care plan proposed by the President and Congressional Democrats is down to 42%. Fifty-four percent (54%) are opposed.
SOURCE: Rasmussen
Obama Takes a Health Care Hiatus
WASHINGTON — As Congressional leaders and White House officials huddle behind closed doors to settle their differences on health care legislation, one of the most powerful voices in the debate — President Obama’s — has grown noticeably quieter.
After spending much of the summer and most of September banging his presidential drum in favor of a health care overhaul, Mr. Obama, entering what one senior White House official called “a quiet period,” is intentionally lowering his public profile on the issue, for the moment.
The idea, aides said, is for the president to take a breather while Democrats resolve their internal conflicts, so he can come back strong with a fresh sales pitch when the legislation moves closer to floor votes.
SOURCE: New York Times
After spending much of the summer and most of September banging his presidential drum in favor of a health care overhaul, Mr. Obama, entering what one senior White House official called “a quiet period,” is intentionally lowering his public profile on the issue, for the moment.
The idea, aides said, is for the president to take a breather while Democrats resolve their internal conflicts, so he can come back strong with a fresh sales pitch when the legislation moves closer to floor votes.
SOURCE: New York Times
Dems eye insurance industry's antitrust protection
WASHINGTON (AP) - Top Senate Democrats intend to try to strip the health insurance industry of its exemption from federal antitrust laws, according to congressional officials, the latest evidence of a deepening struggle over President Barack Obama's effort to overhaul the health care industry.
If enacted, the switch would mean greater federal regulation for an industry that recently has stepped up its criticism of portions of a health care bill moving toward the Senate floor.
SOURCE: My Way News
If enacted, the switch would mean greater federal regulation for an industry that recently has stepped up its criticism of portions of a health care bill moving toward the Senate floor.
SOURCE: My Way News
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