Democrats Face Internal Battles Over Health Care
Democrats can’t use reconciliation to pass a bill until they end disputes within their own ranks.
All Coverage
-
-
Health Care No Stranger To Congressional Budget Reconciliation Process
To get health reform passed, Democrats could use a process called budget reconciliation, which allows them to advance the bill with a simple majority. Republicans say the process was not designed for such a large bill, but reconciliation has often been used to move major health policy.
-
Timeline: A History Of Reconciliation
For 30 years, major changes to health care laws have passed via the budget reconciliation process. Here are a few examples.
-
The Antitrust Exemption For Health Insurers: Meaningful Or Not?
With comprehensive health care legislation foundering, House Democrats are turning to a narrower piece of legislation they hope has populist appeal: repealing the antitrust exemption for health and medical liability insurers. Policy makers disagree on the effect the repeal would have.
-
Analysis: Health Lobbyists’ Powerful Impact On Reform Bills
A Center for Public Integrity analysis shows that more than 1,750 a diverse list of companies and organizations hired about 4,525 lobbyists to influence health reform bills in 2009.
-
-
State Regulators Criticize Obama Plan To Create Federal Authority Over Health Insurance Rates
Three veteran state insurance commissioners said they’d welcome federal advisory help, but draw the line at giving the government authority over rates, a power they say states should retain exclusively.
-
Transcript: Health On The Hill: Examining Obama’s Health Care Proposal, Thursday’s White House Summit
Just days before a bipartisan White House summit on health care, President Obama unveiled a proposal that closely tracks the Senate-passed health legislation with some modifications.
-
Health On The Hill – February 22, 2010
Just days before a bipartisan White House summit on health care, President Obama unveiled a proposal that closely tracks the Senate-passed health legislation with some modifications.
-
Full Text: Obama’s Health Care Proposal
Read the full text of President Obama’s health care proposal, which he will bring to his Thursday health ‘summit’ with Congressional leaders.
-
Dental Coverage Cuts Leave California’s Poor In Pain
While the recession may be easing, California and other states across the country continue to face eye-popping budget deficits. As a result, states are cutting deep into public health programs, and dental benefits for Medicaid recipients top the list.
-
Opinion Column
Malpractice Reform: A Test Case for Bipartisanship At The Health Summit
Republicans and Democrats should come together on one bipartisan issue at Thursday’s health care ‘summit’: medical malpractice reform.
-
Doctor Shortage Fuels Nurses’ Push For Expanded Role
Nurse practitioners – like Irene Cavall in North Carolina – are gaining support in their drive to play a larger primary care role. But the powerful AMA is waving a yellow caution flag before state regulators and legislators.
-
Missing HSA Money Raises Oversight Questions
Thousands of people are learning that money they squirreled away in health savings accounts is gone. Many thought the money was sitting safely in banks. But now it appears it was stolen.
-
Opinion Column
Why Are Fewer Patients Enrolling in Hospice?
It is not clear why it’s happening, but some hospice officials blame both a bad economy and Medicare rules that unintentionally discourage doctors from referring all but those who are about to die.
-
Community Health Centers Providing Return On Investment
The federal stimulus package that sent nearly $2 billion to community health centers appears to have paid off in economic returns.
-
Health On The Hill – February 16, 2010
President Obama has scheduled a bipartisan summit for Feb. 25 to discuss ways to pass health care overhaul legislation this year. On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders in both chambers are trying to resolve differences between House and Senate-passed health care bills and make progress on the issue once lawmakers return from the President’s Day recess.
-
Transcript: Health On The Hill: What A Difference A Year Makes
President Obama has scheduled a bipartisan summit for Feb. 25 to discuss ways to pass health care overhaul legislation this year. On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders in both chambers are trying to resolve differences between House and Senate-passed health care bills and make progress on the issue once lawmakers return from the President’s Day recess.
-
Opinion Column
The Health Reform That Scares Both Parties
Twenty-seven years ago, President Ronald Reagan and a Congress split between Republican and Democratic control agreed to a radical new payment scheme for Medicare. The resulting legislation trimmed billions of dollars from the federal budget and caused medical inflation to plummet, yet still maintained quality of care.
-
Will Health Care Savings Be Used To Reduce The Deficit?
As health care legislation falters, health groups worry that proposed spending cutbacks might be used to narrow the budget gap, not expand coverage.
