rssHealth Reform by August? Looking Less Likely
Monday, July 06, 2009 at 2:25 pm
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On the surface, Senate Democratic leaders remain insistent that they can pass their plan for comprehensive health care reform by the end-of-summer Congressional recess, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 7. But the rumblings around Capitol Hill are starting to anticipate a different reality.
As Roll Call (subscription) reported today, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who’s leading the Democrats’ health care efforts in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told reporters last week that the August timeline for Senate floor passage isn’t likely.
Rather, Dodd indicated, the goal is to complete the tricky merger of the HELP and Finance Committee bills, with the floor fracas over a final bill put off until after Labor Day.
“One step at a time,” Dodd said Thursday during a conference call with reporters. “This is a long process.”
Dodd has some recent experience with legislative delays: It was his credit card reform bill that was tied up for a few extra weeks as Republicans stalled the process with a series of amendments — including the successful push to allow loaded weapons in the national parks. And that was a much easier sell politically than any health reform bill will surely be.
Indeed, the more accurate prediction of the length of this battle might have come from Sen. John Barrasso today. “I can tell you,” the Wyoming Republican told Fox News, “it’s not going to happen in August.”
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Comment posted July 6, 2009 @ 8:08 pm
The independently-funded healthcare policy research organization, The Commonwealth Fund, compared possible savings 'a health insurance exchange' could bring under three different scenarios. One would include a Medicare-like plan along with private insurance. Another would instead offer only a government-run plan with rates somewhat higher than Medicare. The final one would be private insurance with no government plan at all.
Commonwealth's study found cumulative health system savings between 2010 and 2020, compared with projected trends for that period, would range from $3.0 trillion under a Medicare-like plan along with private insurance paying providers at Medicare rates in competition with private plans, to $2.0 trillion for a public plan paying providers at rates between Medicare and private plan rates, to $1.2 trillion in the private plan-only scenario. All three options would help insure nearly all Americans, it said, with the number of uninsured dropping to about 4 million people by 2012. 'Such an exchange' would offer a central point for consumers to shop for and compare health plans.
Under the Medicare-like plan along with private insurance, all U.S. residents would be required to obtain health coverage. The plan would establish a new government-sponsored health program for people younger than age 65 who are not eligible for Medicare. More than 40 million people would be expected to enroll in the program, according to Cathy Schoen of the Commonwealth Fund.
The government-operated insurance exchange would be similar to an existing program in Massachusetts and would allow people to compare coverage offered by private insurers and the new public program. In addition, the plan supports wide adoption of health information technology, better disease prevention efforts and 'changes to the insurance payment system' that promote efficiency. Health spending would continue to increase under the plan, but at a slower rate than current projections over the next 10 years. The Commonwealth Fund said the plan would reduce annual health care spending growth from a projected 6.7% to 5.5% and save a cumulative total of about '$3 trillion' by 2020, adding a national health insurance exchange program that includes a federally managed health insurance option could potentially save $1.8 trillion more than a plan consisting only of private plans.
The group's analysis assumed other changes would also be made to the U.S. healthcare market. These include an expansion of existing government coverage and new regulations that would require insurers to cover a wider range of consumers. Hospitals and doctors would also see their revenues grow with any of the three exchanges but at a slower rate, the report said.
The proposal's advocates have argued that a government-sponsored insurance plan would offer the 46 million uninsured Americans an affordable alternative to costly private insurance, adding that It would provide a strong incentive for private plans to strealine, innovate and compete.
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