House Democrats on Tuesday released an outline of their proposal to reform
the health care system that would require that all Americans have insurance
and that employers provide coverage or pay a penalty, The Associated Press reports. The bill also emphasized
preventive care but omitted details about how to cover the costs.
"On a
hotly contested issue, the emerging House plan would give individuals the option
of buying insurance provided by the federal government," the AP says. The
so-called public plan has been a contentious one. Democratic senators on the
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee didn't include a specific
public-plan proposal in their legislation for now, in hopes of ironing out
some disagreements with Republicans.
Under the House plan,
insurance companies would be banned from denying coverage or charging higher
premiums because of pre-existing conditions.
"'This is the year we
have to do it,' said Rep. Henry Waxman, the California Democrat who chairs
theEnergy and Commerce Committee. Waxman was one of several senior Democrats who
outlined proposed legislation to the party's rank and file during the day"
(Epso, 6/9).
Some lawmakers are worried about how to pay for the
legislation, which wasn't explained in the House outline, The Hill reports: "A public option for healthcare insurance is
essential for liberals in the caucus. Blue Dogs and New Democrats got less of
what they wanted. Most notably, the plan ignores Blue Dogsf call for a
government plan to be a 'fallback option,' if reform of private healthcare
doesnft work. c 'Ifve got my concerns,' said Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., a
centrist lawmaker from a strongly Republican district. 'Wefve got to address
cost, quality and coverage, with cost being No. 1.'" Drafts of the House bill
are expected to be released by the end of the week (Soraghan, 6/9).
The Wall Street Journal: "The draft House plan, presented to
House Democrats at a meeting Tuesday, would require almost all Americans to have
health insurance and provide subsidies to those with annual incomes as high as
four times the poverty level...The plan presented Tuesday by Mr. Waxman and
other key House Democrats is likely to define the liberal end of the negotiating
spectrum. It would expand Medicaid by basing eligibility solely on income, said
a House aide who helped draft the proposal. Currently, someone must be both poor
and a parent, or meet some other criteria, to qualify" (Bendavid and Adamy,
6/10).
President Obama met with Democratic members of the Ways and Means
Committee to discuss the legislation Tuesday, Roll
Call reports. "During the White House session, Obama reiterated his support
for his own revenue-raising proposal, a plan to reduce deductions for higher
income earners that has so far been rejected by Congress" (Koffler, 6/9).
Meanwhile, members of the racial minority caucuses are readying their own
bill to compete with the top House Democrat bill, Roll
Call reports in a separate story. "But they conceded that some of their
ideas are already being included in the package being put together by Democratic
leaders, and they said they arenft prepared to unite in opposition to that bill.
The bill being introduced later this week by the Tri-Caucus — which includes the
Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus — focuses on the need to address
racial and ethnic disparities in health care." (Bendery, 6/9)
Republicans too are voicing their opposition. NPR reports (MP3): "But all that apparent togetherness on the part of the
Democrats is serving only to unite the opposition, said John Kyl, the Senate's
second ranking Republican: 'We are opposed to a government plan and the sooner
it's off the table the better'" (Morning Edition, 6/10).