Health on the Hill Archive

Listen to previous episodes of Health On The Hill with KFF Health News’s Mary Agnes Carey.

• May 18, 2009:
  
  
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  The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to have a closed-door “walk through” with panel members this week to discuss options to finance health care overhaul legislation. The issue of possible changes to the tax treatment of health care insurance was among the ideas discussed at a Finance Committee hearing last week on the financing issue.

  Meanwhile, health care providers who met recently with President Obama at the White House reaffirmed their commitment to work with the president to help reduce health care costs.

• May 11, 2009:
  
  
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  At a White House meeting with President Obama, groups representing physicians, hospitals, health insurers, drug manufacturers, medical device makers and unions pledged to take steps that would reduce health care spending by $2 trillion over the next decade.

  Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a roundtable discussion on the financing of health care legislation and discussion is also expected to continue on Capitol Hill concerning “public plan” health insurance option as part of any overhaul package.

• May 4, 2009:
  
  
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  Newly-confirmed Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is expected to discuss President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul priorities when she appears Wednesday, May 6, before the House Ways and Means Committee.

  Separately, the Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a second “roundtable” discussion on Tuesday, May 5, to talk about ways to expand health care coverage.

  Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to switch political parties may not necessarily mean that Democrats can count on their party’s newest member to always vote with them on health care issues.

• April 27, 2009:
  
  
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  The Senate Finance Committee is expected to provide more details of its developing health care overhaul legislation at a closed-door session for panel members this week. Several health care experts testified before the panel at a recent roundtable which focused on possible changes to the nation’s health care delivery system.

  In addition, while Republicans have voiced some concerns about the nomination of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Senate is expected to vote soon on the nomination.

• April 6, 2009:
  
  
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  Lawmakers will turn to resolving differences over House and Senate budget resolutions for fiscal 2010. The big question may be whether the final budget resolution will permit the Senate to use a “budget reconciliation” process that would sidestep a potential filibuster of health care legislation in that chamber.

  In addition, the Senate is expected to vote on the nomination of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Senate is also expected to approve legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco.