Health Care Tippecanoe

Final Post

2010-03-25T22:53:00.004-04:00

This afternoon the Senate approved a slightly modified reconciliation bill, and tonight the House voted for that modified bill. The legislative battle for health care is over, and it has ended with a historic victory that will take its place with the passage of the great New Deal initiatives, the civil rights act, Medicare and Medicaid, and perhaps a few others. It will mark this President and this Congress as leaders who were able to address a seemingly overwhelming problem that Presidents and Congresses going back a century were unable to resolve. And it shows that the country's elected leaders--Democratic leaders--are still able to accomplish big things, even in the face of an implacable and utterly uncompromising opposition.

So it is under these happy circumstances (which were very uncertain a few weeks ago) that this final posting on this blog is submitted. When we started 206 posts ago, we had no idea that this legislation would take seven months to pass. As we glance back over the posts of these contentious months, we see a loose chronicle of the ebb and flow of issues, controversies, tactics, and personalities that have comprised the campaign. We'll continue to leave the blog up for several more weeks for anyone who might want to meander through this informal record.

Thanks to the Tippecanoe Democratic Party for its support of this effort and to those who have followed this story with us.

Putting Americans in Charge of Their Health Care

2010-03-25T22:39:00.003-04:00

Here's part of a letter from the White House to supporters of the health care reform bill. It's a nice summary of the benefits all Americans, and all Hoosiers, will enjoy as a result of this historic legislation:

This morning, I gathered with members of Congress, my administration, and hardworking volunteers from every part of the country to sign comprehensive health care reform into law. Thanks to the immeasurable efforts of so many, the dream of reform is now a reality.
The bill I just signed puts Americans in charge of our own health care by enacting three key changes:
It establishes the toughest patient protections in history.
It guarantees all Americans affordable health insurance options, extending coverage to 32 million who are currently uninsured.
And it reduces the cost of care -- cutting over 1 trillion dollars from the federal deficit over the next two decades.

To ensure a successful, stable transition, many of these changes will phase into full effect over the next several years.

But for millions of Americans, many of the benefits of reform will begin this year -- some even taking effect this afternoon. Here are just a few examples:

Small businesses will receive significant tax cuts, this year, to help them afford health coverage for all their employees.

Seniors will receive a rebate to reduce drug costs not yet covered under Medicare.

Young people will be allowed coverage under their parents' plan until the age of 26.

Early retirees will receive help to reduce premium costs.

Children will be protected against discrimination on the basis of medical history.

Uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions can join a special high-risk pool to get the coverage they need, starting in just 90 days.

Insured Americans will be protected from seeing their insurance revoked when they get sick, or facing restrictive annual limits on the care they receive.

All Americans will benefit from significant new investments to train primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, and the creation of state-level consumer assistance programs to help all patients understand and defend our new rights.

If the Republicans plan to base their 2010 campaign on repealing the law, and thereby withdrawing these benefits from the people--well, as the President says, that's a fight we'll be happy join.

Thanks to Heather Maddox for sharing the letter.

Law of the Land

2010-03-23T22:02:00.002-04:00

Here is the entire signing ceremony which makes health care reform the law of the land. There is other interesting material on the White House webpage.

Indiana Democrats Come Through

2010-03-22T22:34:00.003-04:00

Salon.com lists the "yes" votes Reps. Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill among its 10 most courageous votes for health care. Their measurement is based on the relative strength of Republicans in their districts derived from Charlie Cook's Partisan Vote Index. Ellsworth is Number 5 and Hill is Number 8. You can read more here.

Rep. Andre Carson voted "yes" after walking through a crowd of angry white Tea Party protesters outside the Capitol with Rep. John Lewis. The protesters spewed racial epithets at them. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver was spat upon. Afterward the entire Democratic delegation opted to walk that same path, through that same mob, to the Capitol.

Rep. Joe Donnelly, who only a few days ago was indicating that he would vote against the bill because of abortion concerns, was apparently satisfied by the arrangement negotiated with Rep. Bart Stupak for the President to issue an executive order indicating that no federal money will be expended to pay for abortions. You can read more about Donnelly's change of heart here.

Rep. Pete Visclosky also voted in favor of the bill.

This Is What Change Looks Like

2010-03-22T22:17:00.003-04:00

Speaking last night after the historic vote in the House, President Obama said, "This isn’t radical reform. But it is major reform. This legislation will not fix everything that ails our health care system. But it moves us decisively in the right direction. This is what change looks like." This is also what victory looks like. You can read the entire text of the President's remarks here.

Some Disagreement on Vote Count

2010-03-21T10:40:00.003-04:00

The Hill reports some disagreement on whether the Democrats have the 216 House votes needed to pass the reform bill later today. Democratic caucus leader John Larson says they have the votes "as we speak," but deputy whip Debbie Wasserman Schultz says, "We don’t have a hard 216 right now," but adds "I firmly believe we will have 216." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told NBC’s "Meet the Press" that “there are still members who are looking at it and making up their mind, but we still think there are going to be 216-plus votes when we call the roll.” Read more here.

President Negotiating with Abortion Opponents

2010-03-21T10:31:00.003-04:00

The Hill is reporting that Rep. Bart Stupak has said that his supporters are close to an agreement on abortion that may involve the President issuing an executive order banning the use of federal funds for abortions. Appraently the negotiations have involved eight potential "No" vote among Democrats. Read more here.

Ellsworth and Hill Will Vote "Yes"

2010-03-21T10:19:00.002-04:00

The Louisville Courier Journal is reporting that both Reps. Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill will vote in favor of the health care reform bill. Hill said the current system has "failed hardworking Hoosiers," and that he chooses “to stand with those that have been shortchanged for far too long.” They cite Joe Donnelly as undecided. You can read more here.

Gibbs Predicts Successful Vote--This Week!

2010-03-15T21:59:00.002-04:00

On yesterday's Fox News Sunday White House press secretary Robert Gibbs predicted a successful House vote on health care reform very soon: "We'll have the votes when the House votes, I think, within the next week." Gibbs added that those on next week's Sunday talk shows "will be talking about healthcare not as a presidential proposal but I think as the law of the land." You can read more here.

Joe Donnelly Will Vote "No"

2010-03-11T22:32:00.002-05:00

Rep. Joe Donnelly, Democrat of Indiana's 2nd District, said in a statement today that he will vote against the Senate health care reform bill in the House:

If I’m asked to vote on the Senate health care reform bill as is, I will vote no. The process over the past few months has been frustrating, including the cutting of unacceptable special deals to assure a few senators’ votes. Also, the Senate version of health care reform does not meet my standards for assuring that no federal funds are used for abortion-related services.

Donnelly voted in favor of the House bill. You can read more about Donnelly here.

Highlights of President's Speech in Missouri

2010-03-11T22:20:00.003-05:00

President's Weekly Address Enumerates Benefits That Will Start This Year

2010-03-07T10:04:00.005-05:00

Politico: Ellsworth a "Decider" on Health Care

2010-03-07T09:47:00.004-05:00

Politico lists Rep. Brad Ellsworth as one of its "Ten People Who Could Decide Health Care." Here's what they say:

Sen. Evan Bayh’s decision to retire could hurt Democrats in more ways than they thought if Ellsworth, the party’s leading candidate to fill his seat, decides to vote “no” on the final bill.

After all, Ellsworth’s “yes” vote proved critical in November, but failure to resolve the abortion question could provoke him to jump ship, because Indiana remains a conservative state in which the religious right holds powerful sway.

And if Ellsworth goes, what’s to keep fellow Indiana Reps. Joe Donnelly and Baron Hill on board?

The Hill is also announcing a $500,000 campaign to convince anti-abortion Democrats to vote against the bill. Read the Hill's story here and Politico's story here.

Donnelly and Ellsworth May Block Health Care for Abortion Language

2010-03-04T22:33:00.002-05:00

Minority House Whip Eric Cantor lists Indiana Democratic Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth as among those who are following Michigan's Bart Stupac in threatening to vote against health reform unless the strict anti-abortion language of the so-called Stupac Amendment is included in the legislation. Stupac told MSNBC's Chris Matthews that "there are at least 12 of us who voted for health care who have indicated to the leadership and others that unless you fix this abortion language we can’t vote for a final bill.” You can read more from ABC news here.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

2010-03-03T22:33:00.003-05:00

Some people argue that if we do nothing about health care we will simply continue to have what we've got now. That isn't true, however. The New York Times' Reed Abelson offers this:

“People think if we do nothing, we will have what we have now,” said Karen Davis, the president of the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit health care research group in New York. “In fact, what we will have is a substantial deterioration in what we have.”

How much deterioration? Read the Times' analysis of doing nothing here.

Presdient: "The Time Has Come to End Decades of Debate"

2010-03-03T22:05:00.003-05:00

Today President Obama called for the Congress to take action on health care reform. He called for them to press ahead with a comprehensive bill and rejected the piecemeal approach proposed by Republicans. Though he did not mention reconciliation specifically, he argued that health care reform "deserves the same kind of up-or-down vote that was cast on welfare reform, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, COBRA health coverage for the unemployed, and both Bush tax cuts – all of which had to pass Congress with nothing more than a simple majority." He set a timetable of having the bill completed before the Congress recesses for its Easter recess. You can read the text of the President's speech here. Or you can watch it here.

Pelsosi Says She'll Get the Votes

2010-02-28T22:44:00.002-05:00

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she will get the votes needed to pass health reform, but it won't be easy. On ABC's This Week she said the following:

"Our members, every one of them, wants health care. They know that this will take courage. It took courage to pass Social Security. It took courage to pass Medicare. And many of the same forces that were at work decades ago are at work again against this bill. But the American people need it. Why are we here? We’re not here just to self-perpetuate our service in Congress. We’re here to do the job for the American people, to get them results that give them not only health security, but economic security.”

The President apparently will share his preferred strategy this week, according to Ann DeParle, the director of the White House Office of Health Reform: "All the president is talking about is: Do we need to address this problem, and does it make sense to have a simple up-or-down vote on whether or not we want to fix these problems?"

Read more from the New York Times here and from the Washington Post here.

President: "Let's Get This Done"

2010-02-28T22:30:00.002-05:00

In his weekly address, President Obama urges Congress to move forward with health care reform. "Let's get this done," he says.

Dems Warming to Reconciliation

2010-02-23T22:52:00.002-05:00

It appears that Democrats, even moderate ones, are warming to the idea of passing the Senate bill in the House and then making changes as needed through the reconciliation process that requires only a simple majority vote. The White House has now signaled that it is prepared to go that route. You can hear the change in Evan Bayh's comments. Just after the Massachusetts elections, he called the use of reconciliation "very ill-advised." Now he takes a different tack: “Obviously, if the minority is just frustrating the process, that argues for taking steps to get the public’s business done. At the same time ... Republicans would probably shut the place down, but you could argue they are doing that anyway.” You can read more from Politico about the prospects of passage through reconciliation here.

Rockefeller Opposes Public Option by Reconciliation

2010-02-22T22:20:00.002-05:00

Senator Jay Rockefeller, one of the stalwart supporters of the public option, has indicated that he does not support establishing the public plan through the reconciliation process. He says he feels sufficiently comfortable with the nonprofit options in the current Senate bill that a public option is not crucial. It is estimated that six other Democratic senators would not vote for the public option through reconciliation. You can read more from the Huffington Post here.

President Offers His Own Health Reform Plan

2010-02-22T21:53:00.002-05:00

Preparatory to Thursday's health care reform summit, President Obama has offered his own plan. An unnamed spokesperson for the White House called it the "opening bid" for the summit. The President's plan very much resembles the Senate bill passed several weeks ago. It does include a review board for increase in rates by insurance companies. It eliminates the the special Medicaid deal for Montana, but provides more funds to assist states with increased Medicaid costs. It also boosts subsidies to help low and moderate income people buy health care coverage on the exchanges. The President's plan does not include a public option. You can read Washington Post coverage of the plan here, and New York Times here. And you can read the text of the President's plan, courtesy of Kaiser Health News, here.

White House Invites Congressional Leaders to Health Care Summit

2010-02-13T23:06:00.004-05:00

Yesterday the White House issued formal invitations to Democratic and Republican congressional leaders to attend a health care summit at Blair House moderated by him on February 25. The letter, which you can read here, was issued over the signatures of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The event will be televised in its entirety. The letter encouraged both sides to post comprehensive legislation online prior to the event:

"Since this meeting will be most productive if information is widely available before the meeting, we will post online the text of a proposed health insurance reform package. This legislation would put a stop to insurance company abuses, extend coverage to millions of Americans, get control of skyrocketing premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and reduce the deficit. It is the President’s hope that the Republican congressional leadership will also put forward their own comprehensive bill to achieve those goals and make it available online as well."

Republicans are wary. They've suggested that the only way to have bipartisanship is to scrap the bills the have been passed in the House and Senate, and that they may not participate if this is not done. You can read more about the proposed summit from the Washington Post here.

Obama Wants to "Move Foward on a Vote"

2010-02-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

Speaking to the combined forces of Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee on Thursday, President Obama committed himself again to continue to fight for health care reform:

“The forces of the status quo may not give an inch, but we will not give an inch. Because we didn’t come this far to put things off, or to play it safe. We didn’t do all this work to take the easy road to get to the next election.”

And the President indicated how he would like to move forward:

“What I’d like to do is have a meeting where I’m sitting with the Republicans, sitting with the Democrats. Sitting with health care experts. And let’s just go through these bills. Their ideas, our ideas, let’s walk through them in a methodical way so the American people can see and compare. What makes the most sense. And then I think we’ve got to go ahead and move forward on a vote.”

He gave no hard deadlines, and indicated that a jobs bill would come ahead of health care. The President said we should "take our time" but it is important "not to let the moment slip away."

He concluded with the story of a campaign worker who couldn't afford health care but had fought to support his reform bill. She died of cancer five days ago.

“How can I say to her, ‘you know what – we’re giving up?’ How can I say to her family, this is too hard. How can Democrats on the Hill say this is politically risky? How can Republicans on the Hill say we’re better off just blocking anything from happening?”

You can read more from ABC News here.

Pelosi Sees a Two-Step Approach

2010-01-28T22:48:00.004-05:00

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thinks her chamber can pass the Senate health reform bill as it is (thus not requiring another in the no longer filibuster proof Senate), if she can be assured that changes can be made in the Senate bill through the reconciliation process. However, House Democrats have still not agreed on what changes are needed. You can read more about this approach from the Los Angeles Times here.

State of the Union Message: "Don't Walk Away from Reform"

2010-01-28T22:33:00.002-05:00

President Obama had a lot of political ground to cover in last night's State of the Union address, and it took him 32 minutes to get to health care, but when he did his appeal was strong and resolute: "Here's what I ask of Congress. Don't walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close." While he offered no clear path to passage of a reform bill, he made the case for it as an economic necessity. You can read more about the post-State-of-the-Union buzz on healthcare from the AP here.

Axelrod and Plouffe Defend Health Care Reform

2010-01-25T22:26:00.003-05:00

Senior Advisor David Axelrod told ABC's This Week that "the underlying elements of [the health care bill] are popular and important." And he said the President would stick with it: "The president will not walk away from the American people, will not hand them over to the tender mercies of health insurance companies who take advantage." Axelrod suggested that the message from Massachusetts voters was a more nuanced one that has been reported, noting that 68 percent of the voters in the state's special election said they supported their state's own universal health care coverage plan; he also noted that Senator-elect Brown voted for the plan as a state legislator.

David Plouffe, Obama's 2008 campaign manager who's been brought in to coordinate 2010 Congressional elections, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that Democrats must "pass a meaningful health insurance reform package without delay." He goes on to defend the bill on political grounds:

"I know that the short-term politics are bad. It's a good plan that's become a demonized caricature. But politically speaking, if we do not pass it, the GOP will continue attacking the plan as if we did anyway, and voters will have no ability to measure its upside."

You can read more from the LA Times here.

Dems Mull Healthcare Options

2010-01-23T20:27:00.003-05:00

The Associated Press reports that Democratic congressional leaders were meeting today to consider potential changes to the Senate health reform bill that could make it acceptable to House members. The changes would be implemented by a budget process requiring only a simple majority in the Senate. With the changes made, the House would then pass the Senate bill.

At his rally in Ohio yesterday, Pres. Obama seemed to back away from the idea of breaking the reform into separate into separate legislative initiatives because of the interdependency of the pieces. He also indicated that he would continue the fight for health reform: "There are things that have to get done. This is our best chance to do it. We can't keep on putting this off. I am not going to walk away just because it's hard."

You can read the AP's story on the Democrats' consideration of options here.

Why Has Support for Health Reform Faltered?

2010-01-23T20:11:00.002-05:00

Kaiser Health News offers a substantive analysis of why the health care reform initiative seems to have lost support among the American people. Among the problems cited are a failure to articulate the benefits of the program for the vast majority of Americans who are insured through their employers and are satisfied with their coverage. Adjustments to Medicare made it easy to concern seniors. Talk of additional taxes confused and worried people. Also unpopular was the public deal-making to get a bill that would be acceptable to constituencies whose interests varied widely. You can read Kaiser's analysis here.

The Way Forward: Reconciliation

2010-01-21T22:48:00.002-05:00

Facing a Republican filibuster with only 59 Senate votes, one option for going forward with health care reform is the Senate's reconiliation process, which can be used for passing budget-related bills and requires only a simple majority (51 votes). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Wednesday “Reconciliation is one of the things that we need to look at with the change in circumstances.” According to The Hill, many House Blue Dog Democrats are uncomfortable with reconciliation, fearing that the public would view it as a trick. However, it has been used 19 times since the early 1980's to pass controversial budget policies, including President Bill Clinton’s fiscal 1994 deficit reduction and tax package and President George W. Bush’s major tax cuts. Here is a primer on the use of reconciliation from Kaiser Health News.

The Way Forward: Back to Basics

2010-01-21T22:30:00.003-05:00

With the loss of the Senate's 60-vote super-majority, Pres. Obama is urging legislators not to attempt to jam the current bill through, but to to consider a pared down bill focusing on "those elements of the package that people agree on." According to MSNBC those might include

limiting the ability of insurance companies to deny coverage to people with medical problems, allowing young adults to stay on their parents' policies, helping small businesses and low-income people pay insurance premiums and changing government health care for the elderly to encourage payment for quality care instead of sheer volume of services.

You can read more about the back-to-basics approach here.

The Way Forward: Pass the Senate Bill in the House

2010-01-21T22:21:00.003-05:00

After the Massachusetts debacle, Democrats are exploring options to pass health reform. One option considered is for the House to simply vote on the bill the Senate has already passed. That doesn't seem likely, however. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says, "I don't see the votes for it." But, according to Reuters, she is still committed to passing a bill a bill this year.

A Deal on Cadillac Plans Reached

2010-01-15T21:58:00.002-05:00

After long negotiations with union leaders, the President and congressional leaders have found a compromise on the tax on so-called Cadillac health plans the the Senate and the Presdient wanted to pay for health reform. The unions opposed it, arguing that their members had won high-end health plans in lieu of wage increases through negotiations. The deal raises the the value of the taxable plans from $23,000 for a family to $24,000, exempts dental and vision plans, and defers application of the tax on union policies for five years. Now that revenue must be replaced by a another source. You can read more from the Los Angeles Times here.

Nelson Asks Reid to Withdraw the Nebraska Deal

2010-01-15T21:43:00.002-05:00

Apparently Sen. Ben Nelson has thought better of the the deal he made with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid whereby his home state of Nebraska would have all increases to its Medicaid costs that may result from the health care reform paid for by the federal government. Nelson has maintained that his intent was to create an opportunity for such coverage to be provided for all states. And he asked Sen. Reid to include such a provision in the final bill that is being negotiated. Apparently the political blowback was a problem to Nelson. You can read more about his change of heart from Kaiser Health News here.

Dems Huddle at White House to Forge Compromise

2010-01-13T20:56:00.003-05:00

The President met with Democratic congressional leaders in a prolonged meeting at the White House to arrive at a compromise between the Senate bill and House bill. The Democratic leaders clearly want to have a bill on the President's desk by his State of the Union address in February. Read more here.

Union Concerns About Cadillac Policy Tax May Produce Adjustments

2010-01-12T22:07:00.003-05:00

After the President met with union leaders yesterday, ways of softening the blow of a 40 percent tax on so-called "Cadillac" insurance policies are starting to be considered. The unions argue that their members have won that coverage in lieu of wage increases in negotiations. While President Obama remains committed to a tax on high-end policies (as opposed to a tax on those who earn more than a million dollars a year as proposed in the House bill), he will consider a compromise such as raising the cost threshold on taxable policies from $23,000 a year for a family to $25,000. You can read more here.

Ben Nelson Wants All States to Get the Nebraska Medicaid Deal

2010-01-07T22:45:00.002-05:00

Senator Ben Nelson negotiated a sweet deal with Majority Leader Harry Reid whereby his home state of Nebraska would have any increases in its Medicaid costs caused by health reform to be covered by the federal government in perpetuity. The Cornhusker Kickback has been widely criticized. Today the Associated Press reports that Sen. Nelson wants that same deal for all the states (and asserts that this is what he wanted all along): "At the end of the day, whatever Nebraska gets will be available to all states." Read the AP story here.

Obama Makes Preference for "Cadillac" Insurance Tax Known

2010-01-07T22:29:00.002-05:00

The House bill pays for much of health reform by taxes on high-end earners; the Senate bill pays for it with taxes on high-end insurance policies. As Democrats from both houses work to produce a combined bill, President Obama made his preference know today: he prefers the tax on "Cadillac" insurance policies. Unions argue that their members have earned those policies through negotiations in which they gave up wage demands for better health care plans. Read more from the Chicago Tribune here.

Lugar: "Is the Insurance Requirement Constitutional?"

2010-01-07T22:01:00.003-05:00

Senator Richard Lugar has requested that Indiana's attorney general (and fellow Republican) Greg Zoeller to render an opinion on the constitutionality of fining citizens who do not purchase health insurance as would be allowed in the the health care reform bills under consideration. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports that Lugar made the request of Zoeller because the Senate vote on "constitutional questions" came came just five days after the text of the bill was released, so there was no time to study the questions. (This despite the fact that the so-called "personal mandate" has been part of the bills in both houses that have been under discussion for many, many months.) The Gazette also notes the legal basis of Lugar's request of his state's attorney general: "Indiana law allows the attorney general to make 'any reasonable or appropriate investigation or study' of federal legislation when asked to do so by a member of the congressional delegation." Read more about Sen. Lugar's request here.

Skipping Conference Committee Negotiations?

2010-01-05T22:52:00.002-05:00

It appears that Democrats in both houses are considering skipping the formal conference committee process to merge their two health reform bills so that they can deliver a bill to President Obama more quickly. Even though they are not in session now, the negotiations are already underway. Here's how it might work, according to the Wall Street Journal:

"[The House would] first pass an amended version of the Senate bill that includes all the compromise provisions negotiators have worked out. ... The Senate would then pass the amended version as well, producing a unified bill for the president to sign."

Senate Centrists See Little Room for Change to Bill

2010-01-03T22:11:00.002-05:00

About two dozen Senate Democratic centrists have indicated to Majority Leader Harry Reid that they see little room for negotiation with the House in the conference process to reconcile the House and Senate bills. This group includes Sen. Evan Bayh, who is quoted as follows in The Hill: "I’m going to be reluctant to vote for any significant changes to the Senate bill." Since Reid needs 60 votes, any of these centrists have effective veto power on the bill. They indicate that they will not vote for a bill that imposes an additional tax on the highest earners or that fails to tax the so-called Cadillac insurance policies. Read more from The Hill here.

Close to Home: Lafayette Health Care Costs Rise 15% in One Year

2009-12-31T22:43:00.002-05:00

Last week Lafayette city officials announced that the costs of providing health care for city employees ($6,035,000) next year will be 15 percent more than this year's cost ($5.248 million). And that is less than previous projections of 23 percent or about $7 million. The relatively tame 15 percent jump was credited to Lafayette's participation in a health care trust with other Indiana municipalities through the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. "I really believe that the pooling of resources and the pooling of assets is the way for local governments to save money," Mayor Roswarski said. You can read more about the city's health care costs from the Journal and Courier here.

Bayh's Statement on the Health Reform Bill

2009-12-31T22:28:00.002-05:00

Several days ago Sen. Evan Bayh's office issued a statement on the health reform bill that has since passed a Senate vote. He characterizes the bill as representing all that frustrates people about Washington, but also as containing a number of important changes in the system.

“This legislation, despite all its flaws, prohibits insurance companies from denying Hoosiers coverage because they have a medical condition. It prevents insurance companies from dropping people from their coverage because they become seriously ill. It limits the fees that insurance companies can charge consumers. It expands Medicare benefits so seniors can afford the prescription drugs they need. And it ensures that everyone can keep the right to choose their own doctor.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office indicates that this legislation will reduce the deficit by $132 billion over the first 10 years and up to $1.3 trillion in the decade beyond. This is certainly not the complete answer to our deficit problem, but at least it’s a modest start. The CBO also reports that 93 percent of Americans will see their health insurance costs remain stable or go down. For the other 7 percent, increased competition and new coverage choices were added to reduce costs that otherwise might rise."

But Bayh's final argument is that the status quo can't continue:

"My bottom line is that this is a close call. Legitimate arguments have been made by both sides. On balance, I believe we should try to improve our health care system rather than do nothing. Of course there will be things to correct. With a proposal this large and complex, perfection is unachievable. But one thing is certain beyond any doubt: Inaction will only cause our problems to fester, year after year. This proposal gives us a chance for a better health care system. The alternative is to have no chance of doing better, and that is unacceptable.”

You can read Sen. Bayh's entire statement here.

60-39

2009-12-24T08:10:00.004-05:00

In the first Christmas Eve vote in 114 years, the Senate passed its health reform bill by a vote of 60 to 39 at about 7:16 a.m. Only Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning did not vote. Every Democrat and two independents voted for the bill even though only a simple majority was needed. For the record, Sen. Bayh voted "aye," Sen. Lugar voted "no."

When Sen. Harry Reid's name was called in the roll call vote, the exhausted Majority Leader started to cast a "no" vote before he caught himself, creating a ripple of laughter on the floor. As he voted from his wheelchair, 92-year-old Sen. Robert Byrd, said, "This is for my friend Ted Kennedy." At that point an otherwise composed Vickie Kennedy said "the spigots opened," and she wept in the visitor's gallery as the Senate voted for for a bill addressing what her late husband called "the cause of my life." Also in the gallery was Rep. John Dingell, the healthcare warrior whose father proposed universal healthcare to FDR and who has proposed a health care reform bill in every House session in his own decades-long career.

Here is CNN's story on the vote. Here is a collection of reactions to the bills's passage compiled by ABC News. Below are President Obama's remarks on this historic occasion.

Hostettler Says Bayh Will Vote Against Health Reform--Definitely

2009-12-23T23:40:00.002-05:00

Looks like former Representative and aspirant to Evan Bayh's Senate seat John Hostettler hasn't lost his gift for politically clumsy statements. In his first news release as a Senate candidate, Hostettler assured Hoosiers that Bayh will never vote for the Senate bill: "I can confidently assure Hoosiers that Indiana has one, rock-solid 'No' vote on this issue. Bayh will not vote for the Senate health care bill. The reason is simple: he cannot afford to alienate the health insurance industry." Is Mr. Hostettler a betting man? Has he been paying attention to the past several days' activities, such as Bayh's giving an emotional speech at last week's caucus meeting that seemed to coalesce the Democrats around the bill?

You can read more about the inauspicious kick-off to Mr. Hostettler's campaign here.

Controlling How Insurers Spend Their Money

2009-12-23T22:28:00.002-05:00

The latest version of the Senate reform bill contains a provision that requires insurance companies to spend 80 percent of their revenues on actually providing health care for their customers. Democrats view this as a cost control mechanism. The House bill has the same provision except set at 85 percent. (Anybody see a compromise position here?). The House bill keeps the restriction on only until the insurance exchanges become active in 2013; the Senate bill keeps them in place indefinitely. Read more from Kaiser Health News here.

Senate Votes Thursday at 7 A.M.

2009-12-23T22:11:00.002-05:00

Republicans relented somewhat on insisting on all the time allotted for debate, allowing the historic Senate vote on health care reform to take place at 7 a.m. tomorrow--Christmas Eve. It had been expected in the early evening. The Senate and even the White House will empty soon afterwards for the holiday break. (President Obama deferred his vacation until after the Senate finishes the vote.) Up next--more perilous adventures as teh Conference committee attempts to reconcile the House and Senate bills. Stay tuned!

You can read USA Today coverage of the Senate endgame here.

President's Weekly Address Urges End to Delaying Tactics

2009-12-20T23:01:00.003-05:00

In this week's address the President looks back to the bipartisan Patient's Bill of Rights, a bill that was defeated in Congress at the hands of special interests and their supporters, and notes that health insurance reform covers the same ground and much more in terms of giving the consumers the upper hand over their insurance companies. He calls on the Senate to allow an up-or-down vote, and for those opposing reform to stop using parliamentary maneuvers to drag it out.

More on Bayh's Role in Rallying Dems on Health Care

2009-12-20T22:49:00.003-05:00

Here's a little more information on the role Sen. Evan Bayh apparently played in rallying the Democratic troops during last Tuesday's caucus meeting:

"Democrats said the turning point came during a Tuesday afternoon meeting at the White House. President Barack Obama had called the meeting after Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) threatened to torpedo the health care bill over its expansion of Medicare. ... But then Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) — a moderate and an initial holdout on the health care measure — gave what many described as a rousing speech, arguing that Democrats could not afford to let the reform effort collapse in the face of Republican attacks. One Senate Democratic aide said Bayh made clear that 'if we don’t [pass a bill] the only ones who win are Republicans, and [Bayh] doesn’t want to see that happen.' Bayh’s speech seemed to crystallize the situation for Democrats and helped them refocus their energy away from intraparty disputes and onto the GOP and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)."

The above appears in Kaiser Health News, but is quoted from Roll Call, which accessible only to subscribers. However, the KHN page cites several interesting sources on how this matter was resolved.

CBO Estimate of the Amended Senate Bill

2009-12-19T16:04:00.002-05:00

Today the Congressional Budget Office released its study of the amended Senate health care reform bill, actually called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It found that the amendments would increase the amount of reduction of the federal deficit by $2 billion by 2019, bringing the total deficit reduction for the period to $132 billion. You can read a summary of the report by CBO Director Doug Elmendorf here.

Times Cites Bayh as Source of Inspiration in Caucus Meeting

2009-12-19T15:39:00.004-05:00

Today the New York Times indicated that Sen. Evan Bayh played a key role in the Senate Democrats' caucus meeting with the President on Tuesday night. Here's what the Times said:

"Lawmakers who attended a private meeting between Mr. Obama and Senate Democrats at the White House on Tuesday pointed to remarks there by Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, as providing some new inspiration. Mr. Bayh said that the health care measure was the kind of public policy he had come to Washington to work on, according to officials who attended the session, and that he did not want to see the satisfied looks on the faces of Republican leaders if they succeeded in blocking the measure."

You can read the Times article here.

And Ben Nelson Makes 60!

2009-12-19T13:26:00.003-05:00

A deal was struck last night about 10:30 by which Sen. Ben Nelson, the last holdout, will be able to support the Senate health care reform bill. The compromise required some tightening of abortion restrictions; here's Politico's description of the deal:

Nelson agreed to support the bill after Democrats strengthened restrictions on federal funding of abortion, by allowing states to opt out from allowing plans to cover abortion in a new insurance marketplace. Also, enrollees in plans covering abortion must pay separate checks – one for abortion, one for the rest of services.

The state opt-out language, according to The Atlantic, is as follows: "A state may elect to prohibit abortion coverage in qualified health plans offered through an exchange in such state if such state enacts a law to provide for such prohibition."

Apparently there was another sweetener for Nebraska: the federal government will pick up the state's costs for new Medicaid enrollees on a permanent basis (historically these costs have been split with the states). Under the Senate bill the feds would be assuming these additional costs for all states through 2017.

You can read Washington Post coverage of the Nelson deal here.

Lieberman Cut Off Mid-Sentence

2009-12-17T21:18:00.004-05:00

Sen. Joe Lieberman may have come on board with the health care bill, but his tactics have angered a lot of Democrats. This afternoon Sen. Al Franken, presiding over the Senate health care debate, didn't cut Lieberman any slack when he exceeded his allocated time.

Landrieu Onboard, Nelson Still Uncertain

2009-12-17T20:37:00.003-05:00

Having managed to kill the public option and expanded Medicare coverage, Sen. Joe Lieberman is apparently on board with the Senate healthcare reform bill. With the Lieberman changes, the recalcitrant Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana seems to be comfortable with the revised bill. She says the revised bill combines "the best blend of private and public approaches to reduce cost, expand coverage and increase choice and competition for Americans." You can read more about Sen. Landrieu here.

However, Sen. Ben Nelson continues to present a problem. Despite new abortion language crafted especially to win Nelson's support, he continues to be unsatisfied: "There's a lot of improvement on the legislation, but the basic question about funding of abortion has not been fully answered yet." Also frustrating Majority Leader Harry Reid is Nelson's questioning whether his goal of completing passage of the bill by Christmas is feasible. You can read more about Sen. Nelson's concerns here.

After Caucus Senate Dems Back Away from Medicare Expansion

2009-12-14T22:11:00.002-05:00

The Wal Street Journal reports that Democrats leaving an rare evening caucus session with Majority Leader Harry Reid appeared to be backing away from a controversial plan to expand Medicare coverage. According to the Journal, Sen. Evan Bayh indicated that there was "general consensus" to end the deadlock. The Democrats meet with President Obama tomorrow. Read WSJ coverage here.

Meantime, the Huffington Post reports that White House Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel met with Sen. Reid yesterday and encouraged him to reach an agreement with Sen. Lieberman, exhorting Reid to "get it done, get it done." Here is Huffington Post coverage of the Emanuel/Reid meeting.

Joe Lieberman Say's He'll Filibuster Any Reform Bill with Medicare Expansion

2009-12-14T20:49:00.002-05:00

Sen. Joe Lieberman has positioned himself as the chief opponent to health care reform by saying that he will filibuster any proposed reform legislation that includes the expansion of Medicare currently being discussed. And yet allowing those 55 and above to buy in to Medicare as a cost-effective substitute for a public option is something Lieberman himself endorsed as recently as this September, as you can see in the video below obtained from the Connecticut Post by Greg Sargent.

Phone Banks to Ensure Bayh's Support

2009-12-10T22:13:00.003-05:00

Yes We Can Tippecanoe will host a series of phone banks in the upcoming days to encourage Democrats to contact Sen. Evan Bayh and tell him to support the Senate health care reform bill. If you would consider hosting a phone bank at your home for a couple of hours, contact YWCT at their website here.

Senate Dems Reach Tentative Agreement

2009-12-08T22:27:00.003-05:00

Tonight the group of ten Democratic senators, five liberals and five moderates, that Majority leader Harry Reid appointed to forge a compromise on the public option has reached a "broad agreement" on a plan that will be sent to the CBO for scoring. While details are very sparse at the moment, it appears that the compromise does not include anything that could be identified as a "public option"--a government-run alternative to compete with private insurance. It seems to feature a broadening of the Medicare program to include anyone over 55; those younger than the current minimum Medicare age of 65 would have to pay for access. It also includes broad access to to a government-administered program of privately-run nonprofit insurance plans that would be almost exactly like the program available to members of Congress.

Earlier in the day an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson that would have introduced abortion restrictions similar to those in the House bill was rejected by the Senate.

You can read Washioington Post coverage of the events of this eventful day here and the Wall Street Journal here.

President's Visit to Hill Encourages Dems; Meetings Continue for Public Option Compromise

2009-12-06T22:25:00.003-05:00

Preseint Obama met with the Democratic caucus today to urge them to complete work on health care reform; he spoke for 45 minutes and took no questions. A group of moderate and liberal Democrats continues to meet in order to forge a compromise on the public option that will be acceptable to all. You can read more about today's activities at Kaiser Health News.

Bipartisan Centrist Group Proposes Amendments

2009-12-05T12:48:00.002-05:00

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, newly converted Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter, and Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman have proposed a package of amendments that, according to the Associated Press, "would reward Medicare patients for picking efficient doctors, require insurance companies to make public more information about claims denials and speed up programs shifting from paying providers for services to paying them for performance." Meanwhile talks continue to forge a compromise on the public option that could find centrist support. Read AP coverage here.

Senate Defeats Rollback of Medicare Cut

2009-12-05T12:42:00.002-05:00

By a vote of 58 to 42 Senate Democrats were able to defeat an amendment proposed by Sen. John McCain that would have removed nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts that are the single largest source of funding for reform. AARP supports the cuts.You can read more from the Washington Post here.

New Poll Shows 60 Per Cent Want Public Option

2009-12-03T22:39:00.002-05:00

A new Thomson Reuters poll shows that 59.9 percent of Americans would like a public option as part of any final healthcare reform legislation. 86 percent of Democrats support the public option, 57 percent of Independents and, yes, even 33 percent of Republicans. However, the poll also shows the public does not have much faith in reform's ability to bring down health care costs in the near term. Read about the Thomson Reuters poll here.

Women's Health Amendment Added to Senate Bill

2009-12-03T22:20:00.002-05:00

A bipartisan amendment sponsored by Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe to safeguard coverage of mammograms and other preventative screening tests passed 61 to 39. It was the first amendment to pass. The Senate is operating under amendment rules that require 60 votes to pass; thus, every amendment to be added will require either all the Democrats or nearly all Democrats and some Republicans. This amendment won over three Republicans: Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and David Vitter of Louisiana. Sen Mikulski said, "Under my amendment, we are saying good-bye to an era when simply being a woman is treated as a pre-existing condition."

You can read more about this amendment and others that were debated today here and here.

New Public Option Plan to Roll Out Next Week

2009-12-02T22:39:00.002-05:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has tapped Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware to develop a new public option plan that will thread the needle between its Democratic supporters and opponents, and perhaps pick off a couple of Republicans. Carper has been in discussions with Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. The plan is expected to be unveiled next week. You can read The Hill's reporting on the alternate plan here.

Senate Debate Begins; Dems Optimistic

2009-12-01T22:56:00.002-05:00

As the debate on the Senate health care reform bill got underway today, it faced a long list of proposed amendments, but Democrats were generally taking an optimistic stance toward passing a bill before Christmas. Sen Charles Schumer said "We're all talking to one another right now. Every Democrat, every single one, wants to get a bill done. Everyone realizes that we're going to have to come together on a whole myriad of different issues." You can read more about the proposed amendments in the Washington Post.

CBO Says Senate Bill Will Lower Most Insurance Bills; Bayh Reassured

2009-12-01T22:38:00.002-05:00

Sen. Evan Bayh had requested that the Congressional Budget Office analyze the likely impact of the Senate health care reform bill on the insurance costs of people who already have insurance. Yesterday the results came in and Bayh reacted favorably in a released statement:

“My primary focus has been making health insurance better and more affordable for average Americans. This report alleviates a major concern that has been raised—that insurance costs will go up across the board as a result of this legislation.

“This study indicates that for most Americans, the bill will have a modestly positive impact on their premium costs. For the remainder, more will see their costs go down than up. Hopefully, we can continue to focus the Senate debate on additional ways to make health insurance even more affordable for all Americans.”

You can read the CBO report here. You can read New York Times analysis here.

Leisure Reading

2009-11-25T10:28:00.002-05:00

If you have a little leisure time for reading over the Thanksgiving break, you might want to dip into H.R. 3590, the Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare bill. A scintillating 2,074 pages that you can access in full here.

Medical Device Tax Slashed in Senate Bill

2009-11-25T10:17:00.002-05:00

The expected revenues from a tax on medical devices fell from $20 billion to $2 billion in the Senate health reform bill that will soon be debated. Sen. Evan Bayh campaigned heavily against the tax. Bayh said it would have cost Indiana 63,000 jobs: "I told them it was crazy at a time when the economy was so bad. When a proposal like this threatens an important Hoosier industry and thousands of jobs across our state, I'm not going to stand idly by and let that happen." You can read more from the Bloomington Herald Times here and a press release from Bayh's office here.

Bayh "Reserving Judgment" on Senate Bill

2009-11-23T23:00:00.003-05:00

Brian Howey reports that Sen. Evan Bayh will continue to analyze the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act about to be debated in the Senate: “I am reserving judgment until I’ve had a chance to fully analyze the proposal and see how it is changed in the coming weeks. I’m encouraged that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says this bill will reduce the federal budget deficit by $127 billion over the next 10 years and as much as $650 billion in the years beyond. Still, this is just the beginning of what will be a long process and debate.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid praised Bayh's involvement to this point: “Senator Bayh led the effort to make revisions to the Senate health care bill to preserve jobs in the life sciences industry. He approached me this fall and argued passionately that the medical device sector could lose thousands of jobs under tax provisions included in earlier versions of the legislation.”

Read more at Howey Politics Indiana here.

Let the Debate Begin!

2009-11-22T10:18:00.003-05:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid managed to hold together all the Senate Democrats and two independents to gain the 60 votes needed to begin debate on the Senate health care reform bill. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Nebraska were the final Democrats to confirm their votes. Landrieu said, "It is clear to me that doing nothing is not an option," and Lincoln said, “I’m thinking about the 450,000 Arkansans who have no health insurance.” Both senators indicated that their vote to open the debate did not imply a vote for debate cloture or for the bill itself.

The Senate will now break for Thanksgiving. The next critical vote will be the 60 needed to cut off debate from an expected Republican filibuster. You can read the AP coverage here. New York Times coverage of Sen. Lincoln's vote is here.

Bayh Will Vote to Open Debate

2009-11-19T20:54:00.002-05:00

Sen. Evan Bayh put to rest any concerns that he would prevent the Senate health care reform bill from even being debated. Last night he became the first centrist Democrat to commit to voting "yes' on the bill's first procedural vote (followed shortly thereafter by Sen. Ben Nelson). Even more intriguing was his hint that he will vote for the final bill. Bayh told The Hill, "At the end of the process, I'll avoid the Washington two-step of voting to go forward but then voting against the final bill. But this is just a starting point, so at this point I do think there's a difference." You can read more in The Hill.

Health Care Reform by the End of the Year?

2009-11-18T22:52:00.004-05:00

Can the Congress meet President Obama's goal of having a health care reform bill on his desk before year's end? Sen. Evan Bayh says that reconciling a Senate bill and a House bill could be expedited by the leadership working with White House staff behind closed doors before the conference committee ever meets, as was done on the stimulus bill. Bayh told Politico “If they have behind-the-scenes negotiations, go into the conference committee to keep up appearances, ... but it only lasted a day or two, and then it came back to both houses, you might be able to do that,” Bayh said. He added that a “full-blown conference” would be almost impossible to finish by Christmas. But Bayh and Sen. Bill Nelson said the more likely scenario is that the Senate will pass a bill by Christmas that is finalized and on the president’s desk in January. Read more at Politico.

Public Favors Letting the Wealthy Pay for Increased Health Benefits

2009-11-18T22:41:00.002-05:00

An AP poll asked Americans how they thought the costs for health care reform should be paid for. In income tax increase on all Americans was rejected by 75 percent, with only 19 perent in favor. A tax surcharge on individuals making more than $250,000 was favored by 56 percent and opposed by 37 percent. Taxing high-end insurance policies was opposed by 56 percent and favored by only 29 percent. You can read more about the AP poll in the New York Times here.

Provisions of Senate Bill Revealed, Along with CBO Scoring

2009-11-18T20:28:00.005-05:00

Tonight Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid met with members of the Democratic caucus to share with them the details of the plan that has been crafted from the two Senate bills that passed out of committees, and to share some of the conclusions of the CBO about the bill.

The cost is projected by CBO to be $847 billion, well under President Obama's self-imposed cap of $900 billion. This will provide coverage for 94 percent of Americans, slightly less than the 96 percent of the House bill. An additional 31 million legal residents will be covered by this bill, as opposed to 36 million by the House bill. The Senate bill will reduce the federal deficit by $127 billion over ten years and reduce health care costs by $1 trillion over the same period.

The bill includes a public option with an opt-out for states. It would be funded by cuts in Medicare payments, higher Medicare payroll taxes on families earning more than $250,000, and excise taxes on some very high-end insurance policies (though Sen. Chuck Schumer says most union policies would not be included).

With regard to abortion coverage, Sen. John Kerry says that consumers would be able to purchase abortion coverage from private insurance companies in the exchange, but that companies that don't provide those services would have to be included in the exchange to provide choice. The Senate's abortion coverage is slightly more lenient than that of the House bill.

A critical vote on beginning the debate is expected by the weekend. It requires 60 votes.

You can read the AP coverage here and New York Times coverage here.

Senate May Open Debate; Awaits CBO Score

2009-11-17T22:44:00.003-05:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a vote to begin debate on a health care bill may come as early as Friday; he anticipates that the Senate may stay in session over the weekend to get it done. Opening debate requires 60 votes and Republicans will likely filibuster. It isn't clear that Sen. Reid has the 60 votes.

Meanwhile the Congressional Budget Office "score" for the senate bill is eagerly awaited, and will likely determine if the bill can go forward as it is or will require substantive tweaking. The CBO score won't be available before Tuesday. For more on the goings-on in the Senate, take a look at Kaiser Health Care News.

Report Says House Bill Will Raise Health Expenditures

2009-11-16T22:02:00.002-05:00

A report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requested by House Republicans indicates that total health care expenditures would rise by $289 billion over the next ten years. The bill's plan to cut $500 billion from Medicare coverage would hurt many seniors and would cause some hospitals to stop taking Medicare patients altogether.

However, the Washington Post points to such positive conclusions of the report as the following:

Overall national spending on health care would increase by a little more than 1 percent over the next decade, even though millions of additional people would gain insurance. Out-of-pocket spending would decline more than $200 billion by 2019, with the government picking up much of that. The Medicare savings, if they materialized, would extend the life of that program by five years, meaning it would not begin to require cash infusions until 2022.

Igor Volsky, writing for the Wonk Room blog observes that

The CMS report confirms that the House health care bill is a fairly modest proposal that expands access to insurance and builds on what works in the current system. Now, honest lawmakers — who believe in health care reform — must ensure that reform also lowers costs for families and reduces long term health care spending. Rather than complain about a fictitious government takeover of health care and rationing care to seniors, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and other ‘moderate’ lawmakers should use this report to insert stringent cost-control mechanisms into the final bill.

Bayh Wants Bill Posted on Internet

2009-11-11T22:13:00.003-05:00

The Evansville Courier Press reports that Evan Bayh wants the final Senate health care reform bill posted on the Internet "for at least 72 hours prior to a vote so the public has time to evaluate how its tax dollars are being used and how its health care is being affected." The paper quotes Senator Bayh as follows: "This should not be done in the dark, behind closed doors. We need it to be open, a transparent process, and the public has a right to be involved."

What Happens Next

2009-11-11T21:18:00.002-05:00

Healthcare Now offers a brief synopsis of the next steps that must be taken to get the health care debate underway in the Senate, including the dismal possibility of reading the entire bill aloud.

Health Care Rally in Indy on Thursday

2009-11-10T22:06:00.002-05:00

The Indianapolis and Muncie MoveOn Councils will sponsor a health care rally at Evan Bayh's Indianapolis office this Thursday, November 12. According to Blue Indiana the rally will be to "thank House members for Saturday's vote, and ask Senator Bayh to be a 'health care hero' as the process moves to the Senate." It will begin at noon at Sen. Bayh's office, just off the Circle at 10 West Market Street.

40 House Dems Won't Support Bill with Stupak Abortion Language

2009-11-10T21:40:00.003-05:00

The Hill reports Reps. Diana DeGette and Louise Slaughter wrote to Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicating that a group of at least 40 abortion rights supporters will not support a final conference report if it strictly prohibits federal funding for abortion services: “We will not vote for a conference report that contains language that restricts women’s right to choose any further than current law."

Meanwhile, Kaiser Health News explains how the abortion restrictions would work. "The House-passed health bill bars insurers from selling policies that cover abortion to anyone who gets a federal subsidy. But it does allow insurers to offer optional abortion coverage that consumers could purchase with their own money. Based on some states' experiences, it's unlikely insurers would sell such coverage," writes Julie Appleby. Can those wanting abortion coverage purchase it on their own? "Only if insurers decide to offer two types of policies in the exchange: ones made available to subsidy-eligible people that don’t cover abortion, and another set, sold only to those who don’t get federal subsidies, that would cover it. Insurers may have little incentive to offer both, as the vast majority of the exchange marketplace is expected to be subsidy-eligible people." You can get more helpful information here.

Stupak Amendment Frustrates Abortion Rights Supporters

2009-11-09T22:47:00.002-05:00

The Stupak amendment, an abortion compromise reached by Nancy Pelosi and conservative Democrats, helped the House to pass its health reform bill, but it has opened a divide among Democrats. Abortion rights advocates argue that the amendment goes beyond the long-standing Hyde Amendment which forbids spending of federal funds on abortions. The Stupak Amendment "doesn't allow abortion coverage in the public plan option except in the case of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. It also doesn't allow private insurance plans that participate in the health insurance exchange to provide abortion coverage," writes Deborah Kotz for US News and World Report.

The President indicated in an interview this morning that the language of the House bill must change: "I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill. And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions. . . .There are strong feelings on both sides and what that tells me is that there needs to be some more work before we get to the point where we're not changing the status quo."

Lieberman "Will Not Allow" a Public Option

2009-11-09T22:07:00.002-05:00

Citing concerns for the deficit, Independent Senator Joe Lieberman told Fox Network on Sunday that he would not vote for cloture of a filibuster if the Senate bill contains a public option: "If the public option plan is in there, as a matter conscience I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote."

House Health Care Reform Bill Passes!

2009-11-08T00:07:00.003-05:00

The House of Representatives' health care reform bill passed tonight by a vote of 220 to 215. The vote concluded at about 11:15 p.m. Thirty-nine Democrats voted against the bill; it appears that the entire Indiana Democratic delegation voted for it, however. (Blue Indiana has statements from several of them here.)One Republican, Joseph Cao of Louisiana, voted for the bill. You can read initial press reports of the passage from Kaiser Health News here.

Abortion Amendment Passes; Republican Substitute Bill Fails

2009-11-07T22:47:00.003-05:00

The Stupak amendment passed 240 to 144, with 64 Democrats voting in favor. The amendment forbids the use of federal funds for abortion services. The amendment was part of a deal cut by anti-abortion rights democrats and Speaker Pelosi last night.

The Republican alternative bill was rejected by a vote of 259 to 176. Tim Johnson of Illinois was the lone Republican to vote against the Republican bill.

Floor Speeches of Indiana Representatives

2009-11-07T22:29:00.003-05:00

You can see the individual floor speeches delivered by Indiana's delegation at C-SPAN here. Most of the presentations are about a minute long.

AARP and AMA Endorse House Bill

2009-11-07T10:56:00.004-05:00

Speaking unexpectedly at a press briefing, President Obama was encouraged by the endorsements of the American Association of Retired People (AARP) and the American Medical Association: "We are closer to passing this reform than ever before. And now that the doctors and medical professionals of America are standing with us; now that the organizations charged with looking out for the interests of seniors are standing with us, we are even closer." You can read Washington Post coverage of the President's comments here.

House to Vote on Reform Bill This Weekend

2009-11-07T09:45:00.003-05:00

A vote on the House health care reform bill is scheduled for tonight but could be deferred depending on how negotiations on language concerning abortions goes; debate on an amendment that would strengthen the prohibition against use of federal funds for abortion will be allowed. (Indiana Democrat Brad Ellsworth is one of the amendment sponsrs.) President Obama will visit the Hill today to rally support. A vote on the the Republican proposal will occur before the vote on the Democratic bill. If the House approves the bill, it will be the first passed legislation to guarantee near-universal access to health care. You can read Washington Post coverage here and Wall Street Journal coverage here.

"Take Two Tax Breaks and Call Us in the Morning"

2009-11-07T00:11:00.002-05:00

PBS commentator Mark Shields's characterization of the Republican so-called health reform proposal on Friday's Newshour.

Indiana House Dems Noncommittal to Reform Bill

2009-11-03T22:38:00.002-05:00

Maureen Groppe of the Indianapolis Star reports that four of Indiana's five Democratic congressmen remain noncommittal on the House's reform bill released late last week. Four said they were still studying it and a fifth did not return the reporter's calls. Strongest support came from Andre Carson who was proud that the Congress is "debating which form of public option should be included, not if one should be part of the package." All four of the state's Republican representatives are, not surprisingly, opposed. You can read more here.

House Republicans Offer Health Reform Bill

2009-11-03T22:12:00.003-05:00

House Republicans are circulating a draft health care reform bill of their own which is notable for what it doesn't do. According to House Minority Leader John Boehner "We do not increase taxes, we do not cut Medicare and Medicaid and we do not have mandates on individuals or businesses." But there are other things their bill doesn't do as well:

It doesn't prohibit insurers from denying coverage for preexisting conditions
It doesn't cover 96 percent of Americans. (John Boehner: "We do not attempt to cover 46 million more Americans.")
Provide any competition or restraints to private insurers.

You get the picture. You can read more about the Republican bill (including the draft that is circulating on the Hill) from Kaiser Health News here and from Health Care for America Now here.

Sen. Bayh: We Will Pass Health Care Reform and It Will Have a Public Option

2009-10-30T21:28:00.003-04:00

Senator Evan Bayh told a very receptive audience at the Tippecanoe County Jefferson-Jackson Dinner tonight that the Congress will pass health care reform this year, and "yes, there will be a public option." His statement would appear to lay to rest any concern that Bayh would work to block its passage, though it is not to say that he won't fight for his position. He complained that his position had been somewhat misconstrued in the media in the past few days. He said that his concern has been that a public option would drive up insurance costs for the vast majority who have private insurance plans of Medicare.

Sen. Bayh Will Support Debate on Health Care Bill

2009-10-30T10:48:00.006-04:00

On Wednesday Senator Bayh told CBS correspondent Bob Schieffer that he would consider voting to block debate on a health care reform bill under certain conditions. Bayh said he didn't think "that's even worth starting a discussion on [provisions] that would explode the deficit... or would dramatically increase the premiums that ordinary families are paying." But he also indicated that he thought it "highly likely legislation will be passed," and that its supporters could use the "reconciliation process" that requires only a simple majority of 51 votes. You can read more about Bayh's interview with Schieffer here. However, yesterday Bayh's office released the following statement: "Senator Bayh will support moving forward to a health care debate on the Senate floor, where he will work hard to address his concerns and craft affordable legislation that reduces the deficit and lowers health care costs for Indiana families and small businesses."

Poll Shows Majority of Hoosiers Back Public Option

2009-10-30T10:29:00.005-04:00

A Research 2000 poll conducted last weekend, showed that 52 percent of Indiana residents favored the government offering everyone a government administered health insurance plan like Medicare. 42 percent opposed such a plan. Because of his pivotal role in the reform debate, the poll also measured support for Senator Bayh; it found that 62 precent of Hoosiers had a favorable impression of him, while only 30 percent had an unfavorable view. However, 29 percent indicated they would be less likely to vote for him if he supported a Republican filibuster to block a reform bill; 55 percent said it would have no effect on their support. 54 percent of Democrats said they would be less likely to vote for him in a primary if he supported a filibuster; six percent said they'd be more likely to vote for him, and 40 percent said it would have no effect. The poll was commissioned by Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)and Democracy for America. You can read more from CBS News here.

House Bill Unveiled

2009-10-29T12:23:00.003-04:00

Today House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the consolidated House bill for health care reform Its ten-year cost is $894 billion, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO also projects that the plan would lower the national debt by $104 billion over 10 years. It covers 96 percent of the population by expanding Medicaid and offering subsidies for the purchase of insurance from private providers or a government-run plan. It is paid for by a surtax on couples making more that $1 million; the Senate bill is paid for by taxes on expensive programs. You can read more here.

Where Does the Public Option Stand in the Senate?

2009-10-23T21:33:00.003-04:00

It seems the prospects for the public option have brightened somewhat in the last few days. Nancy Pelosi has declared that there will be a robust public option in the merged bill that comes out of the House, but where do things stand in the Senate? Kayser Health News offers this summary of the action in the last couple of days. The Washington Independent offers a scorecard on where individual Senators stand on the public option. It shows 47 likely in favor, 14 on the fence, and 39 likely opponents. You can see the Washington Independent's scorecard here. Meanwhile Politico quotes ABC's Jonathan Carl that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is intending to include a public option because he has the 60 Democratic votes he needs to shut off a Republican filibuster; you can read more here.

First Lady Hulas for Health

2009-10-21T21:43:00.005-04:00

First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a children's health fair on the White House lawn today and got into the spirit of things by demonstrating her prowess with a hula hoop.

Network Luncheon Focuses on Health Care Reform and Community Health Centers

2009-10-21T21:33:00.002-04:00

Veronique LeBlanc, president and CEO of Riggs Community Health Center, will speak at the Monday, October 26th Network Luncheon on “Health Care Reform and the Role of Community Health Centers.” She will discuss the role of the health center, which provides care for medically underserved people, and what she believes needs to be done to shape the future of health care in America. The luncheon will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the YWCA, 605 N. 6th Street, Lafayette. The cost is $12 per person. Reservations are due by noon on Friday, October 23. Call 765-742-0075.

CBO Scores House Public Option Plan at $871 Billion

2009-10-21T21:22:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the public option proved it could come in under Pres. Obama's $100 billion cap for a health reform bill, and it would reduced the deficit over ten years. The Congressional Budget Office scored a House plan with a "robust" public option at $871 billion while providing coverage for 96 percent of the population. That compares favorably to the Senate Finance Committee bill that had no public option, and makes the public option more attractive to Democratic fiscal conservatives and, who knows, maybe even some Republicans. You can read more here.

House Judiciary Committee Votes to Strip Insurance of Anti-Trust Exemption

2009-10-21T21:07:00.002-04:00

Today the House Judiciary Committee voted 20 to 9 to repeal the insurance industry's exemption to antitrust laws that it has enjoyed since the 1940's, an exemption that has allowed companies to collude on price-fixing. At the same time Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that a repeal of the exemption will be part of the Senate's reform bill. Supporters view the repeal as a means to promote competition among insurers. "We can open up our health insurance markets to real competition and make an important contribution to the health reform efforts underway in both houses of Congress,'" said Rep. John Conyers, the chairman of the committee. You can read more here.

Bayh and Others Resist Reid-backed Bill to Protect Doctors' Medicare Fees

2009-10-20T21:35:00.007-04:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was poised to push through a bill, separate from healthcare reform legislation, that would freeze a scheduled cut in the amount that doctors are paid for Medicare services for 10 years. These cuts are mandated by Medicare's 1997 funding formula, but have been resisted every year. This year's cut would have amounted to 20 percent. "Everyone understands we addressed these physician payment cuts every year. This is nothing different than we've done before," says. Sen Reid. The 10-year plan represents a semi-permanent fix to stabilize medicare reimbursement.

The $247 billion cost of doing so, however, is not currently offset by tax increases or spending cuts. The brakes were put on by five Democratic senators: Evan Bayh, Kent Conrad (N.D.), Russ Feingold (Wis.), Tom Carper (Del.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) who said they would not vote for the bill. It is considered important for for passage of a reform bill and for the AMA's support of health care reform. Sen. Bayh had this to say about it:

“It’s not fiscally responsible. . . . I could not vote for a bill that raises the deficit by $240 billion, not at a time when we are already hemorrhaging red ink. The physicians’ issue needs to be addressed, but not in a way that increases the deficit.”

You can read more about the Medicare fee freeze from The Hill here and from NPR here.

President's Weekly Address Takes on Insurance Companies

2009-10-17T21:24:00.001-04:00