Members of the pivotal
Senate Finance Committee have offered 564 amendments to a broad health care reform
blueprint inked by Sen. Max Baucus and released Wednesday, September 16.
The sheer number and scope of the amendments, though not
unexpected, threaten to strain the demeanor and test the mettle of
a committee that has always prided itself on its ability to be as
cordial as it is efficient.
Baucus said he expects the committee to begin considering the
amendments as early as Tuesday, September 22, though it's unclear
how long the process—known as a gmark-uph—will take.
The amendments have been divided into three categories: those
that affect the delivery system, those that affect the expansion of
health coverage, and those that relate to how the bill will be
financed.
Many of the amendments could potentially upset the fragile
balance Baucus has tried to maintain to pick up a handful of needed
Republican votes.
Some amendments would essentially kill the idea of nonprofit gco-oph groups, which would be developed to
help lower insurance costs. Others would increase Medicaid
eligibility, lower the age group for Medicare eligibility, and
develop an employer mandate much stronger than the one already
included in a bill.
gImproving the proposed Finance Committee legislation is a
critical step in the legislative process—getting this wrong is not
an option,h Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) said in a written
statement.
To help pay for the amendments, many of the lawmakers suggested
funding mechanisms previously considered by Baucus and a small,
bipartisan team of negotiators, but nonetheless were left on the
cutting-room floor.
Rockefeller, for instance, would use a cap on itemized deductions
at 35 percent to pay for part of his slate of changes.
President Barack Obama has championed such a provision.
Still, others want money to come from other industry players,
such as insurance companies. Proposals to close corporate tax
loopholes are also being considered.
The Senate Finance Committee is made up of 13 Democrats and 10
Republicans.
Filed by Matthew DoBias of Modern
Health Care, a sister publication of
Workforce
Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.
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