Dems cheer, GOP boos
Dems cheer, GOP boos
October 30, 2009
By: Peter Marcus
Dems cheer, GOP boos
October 30, 2009
By: Peter Marcus
The nearly 2,000-page measure would cost an estimated $894 billion and would be phased in over 10 years. The goal is to extend coverage to an estimated 96 percent of the population by expanding coverage to an estimated 36 million uninsured people. It would offer subsidies to help the uninsured purchase insurance through newly created exchanges.
The House bill would require individuals to buy insurance and all but the smallest employers to offer health coverage to workers. It also would bar insurers from refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions and eliminate the industry's exemption from federal antitrust laws.
The House proposal includes a 5.4 percent surtax on individuals making more than $500,000 and couples earning more than $1 million, which would bring in an estimated $460 billion over 10 years to help pay for covering the uninsured.
It also would expand eligibility for the government's Medicaid health insurance program for the poor to people with incomes up to 150 percent of the official poverty level.
The so-called "public option" plan would use reimbursement rates negotiated with doctors and hospitals, a setback for House liberals who wanted a stronger version to compete with insurers.
Congresswoman Diana DeGette, D-Denver, who relentlessly campaigned for a "robust" public option, applauded the proposal.
"Our health care bill will improve competition in the health insurance market and rein in rising costs for American consumers," said DeGette, vice-chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. "A public option will offer a choice of health insurance while providing more Americans with health care coverage."
The measure could be on the House floor for debate as early as next week.
The Senate is also putting together its own version of health care reform, and the House and Senate measures eventually must be combined before being sent to President Obama for his signature. The Senate Democrats' plan would include an option for a government-run plan, but states would be allowed to opt-out if they want, a provision not in the House measure.
The House plan faces unanimous opposition from Republicans, who do not believe that the proposal is a compromise.
"Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi claims this is a compromise bill that will improve our health care system, but there is no compromise and it surely won't fix our current problems," said Congressman Mike Coffman, R-Lone Tree. "Democrats have chosen a path that will place the cost of a trillion dollar government takeover of health care on the backs of small businesses, seniors and working families."