The Washington Post (5/18) reports, "If you're sick – or have ever been sick – and can't get insurance, the new health-care law promises fast relief: access to guaranteed coverage through a special federally funded insurance program starting in July." But the Post adds that "uncertainties abound" regarding high-risk insurance pools because not "everyone who qualifies will be able to afford the premiums" and some states have elected for HHS to run the program in their states. In addition, many "policy experts" believe the $5 billion provided by the new law to run the pools until 2014 "won't be sufficient."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010051801nahu&r=3942519-071c

The CBS Evening News (3/29, story 6, 2:35, Couric) reported, "Just four days ago, President Obama said the new healthcare reform law would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010033001nahu&r=3942519-e2b5

The Wall Street Journal (3/29, McKinnon) reports that, according to some analysts, provisions in the new health reform law which would expand certain benefits for the elderly, some early retirees, and coal miners may ultimately cost more than anticipated.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010032901nahu&r=3942519-3368

The Los Angeles Times (3/26, Levey) reports, "After a final surge to overcome Republican opposition, congressional Democrats approved the last piece of their healthcare overhaul Thursday night." The "so-called reconciliation package...passed the Senate on Thursday afternoon on a nearly party-line vote, 56 to 43.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010032601nahu&r=3942519-71bb

The Washington Times (3/23, Hallow) reports, "They'll fight it in the courts. They'll fight it in the states. They'll fight it at the polls in November and in 2012.

A significant theme in the media coverage of healthcare reform last night and this morning is what the Christian Science Monitor (3/23, Chaddock) calls a "spirit of intense partisanship, unusual even by recent standards."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010032301nahu&r=3942519-f83d

Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday suggested that House Democrats may use a procedural tactic, already tagged with the label "the Slaughter Solution" (after Rules Committee Chairwoman Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY)) to pass healthcare reform. The tactic, which the Washington Post (3/16, Montgomery, Kane) calls a "sleight of hand".

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010031601nahu&r=3942519-6a75

"Senate Democrats and Republicans are poised to have a knock-down, drag-out fight over the arcane budget reconciliation process and equally esoteric rules as Congress races to pass a healthcare bill before Easter." Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) claims, "The whole process is destroying the way the Senate is supposed to function."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010030901nahu&r=3942519-b57c

In a speech Wednesday, President Obama is expected to rally Congress to pass healthcare reform bill through the Senate's reconciliation process. AFP (3/2) notes that "this...would require the House to pass the Senate bill," and "the Senate to vote on a revised version of the legislation after the House has a chance to make changes to it."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010030201nahu&r=3942519-5646

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2/24, Schneider) reports on increases in local health insurance premiums of up to 72%. Health policy advocates say that "people with individual policies are especially vulnerable to the insurance companies."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010022401nahu&r=3942519-cb83

Amid persistent partisan tensions, media reports are casting the current White House efforts to revive the President's healthcare reform drive as possibly the last chance for the legislation to pass this year. The CBS Evening News (2/21, lead story, 2:20, Reid)

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010022201nahu&r=3942519-bf1f

The Christian Science Monitor (2/12, Chaddock) reports that "President Obama's call for a bipartisan healthcare meeting on Feb. 25 is keeping the issue in play -- and in public thought." The meeting is "also giving House and Senate Democratic leaders a window -- and a deadline -- to negotiate differences between the Senate and House reform bills." Yet, "House Democrats balked at passing the Senate healthcare reform bill,"

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010021201nahu&r=3942519-dda2

Reporting on the upcoming White House summit on healthcare reform, McClatchy (2/10, Lightman) notes that analysts are not expecting it "to thaw the bitter political climate that's stalled legislation for months...not least because Republicans remain wary of the plan."

Source: NAHU Newswire 

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010021001nahu&r=3942519-823d

Politico (2/5, Brown, O'Connor) reports, "The healthcare bill is in trouble, but a series of narrow deals - each designed to win over a wavering senator or key interest group -- is alive and well

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010020501nahu&r=3942519-73f3

The Los Angeles Times (1/31, Levey) reported that the healthcare reform effort is being "undertaken quietly" by Democrats, as they "are meeting almost daily to plot legislative moves while gently persuading skittish rank-and-file lawmakers to back a sweeping bill."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010020101nahu&r=3942519-8818

The Hartford (CT) Courant (1/23, Sturdevant) noted that insurers "have often said that without a strong mandate" in the health reform bill, "people signing up for coverage would tend to be sicker, which will drive up premium" costs. However, talk of a bill "that has no mandate whatsoever...has some industry leaders all the more concerned.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010012501nahu&r=3942519-a489

ABC World News (1/21, story 5, 0:20, Sawyer) reported, "A reality check on healthcare reform: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced [Thursday] she does not have the votes to ram through the Senate version of the bill, so she called for a pause on the whole issue, saying we're not in a rush."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010012201nahu&r=3942519-9c0e

The AP (1/21, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports, "No decisions have been made, lawmakers said, but they laid out a new approach that could still include these provisions: 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 premiums and changing Medicare to encourage payment for quality care instead of sheer volume of services."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010012101nahu&r=3942519-b290

The AP (1/18, Babington) described the White House and its "Democratic allies" as "panicky," as they "scrambled Sunday for a plan to salvage their hard-fought healthcare package in case a Republican wins Tuesday's Senate race." 

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010011901nahu&r=3942519-e40e

In what multiple reports today call a "breakthrough" in the healthcare reform negotiations, union and labor leaders have reached a deal with Congress and the White House on including a tax on high-cost insurance plans to pay for the healthcare overhaul.

Source: NAHU Newswire 

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010011501nahu&r=3942519-3281

CMS chief actuary Richard Foster released an analysis of the Senate healthcare reform bill on Friday. The Hill (1/10, Bolton, subscription required) and the New York Times (1/9, Herszenhorn) The New York Times leads noting that the study "found that the Senate version of major healthcare legislation would increase total national health spending from 2010 to 2019 by $222.3 billion, or 0.6 percent, more than projected under current law."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010011101nahu&r=3942519-9443

Bloomberg News (1/8, Rowley, Donmoyer) reports that, according to Democratic aides, "House lawmakers may agree to pay for the nation's healthcare overhaul by adopting versions of Senate proposals to raise Medicare payroll taxes and tax health benefits for the first time."

Source: NAHU Newswire 

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010010801nahu&r=3942519-3193

Roll Call (1/6, Pierce, Koffler, subscription required) reports, "President Barack Obama on Tuesday vowed to boost the White House's involvement in healthcare reform negotiations as the House and Senate seek to craft a final bill that can pass Congress this winter."

Reuters (1/6, Zengerie) characterizes the White House's involvement as an effort to help push the Senate and House past any lingering disagreements in the legislation.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010010601nahu&r=3942519-6d43

The New York Times (1/3, Herszenhorn) "Prescriptions" blog reported on the future of CHIP should national healthcare reform pass, noting that "the Senate bill would preserve the program...and would extend federal financing through 2015, two years past its expiration date under current law.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2010010401nahu&r=3942519-6d3c

The Wall Street Journal (12/22, McQueen, subscription required) reports that on Monday, President Barack Obama signed a measure to extend COBRA subsidies another six months. Workers laid off from Jan. 1, 2010 to Feb. 28, 2010 will now also be eligible for the subsidies, which previously would have ended at the end of 2009.

Source: WSJ

 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704304504574610550356800752.html

Kaiser Health News (12/17, Gold) reported that proposal to extend the COBRA subsidies, "which passed the House Wednesday night, is tacked onto both the House defense appropriations and jobs-creation bills and would give some unemployed Americans an extra six months of help paying for their COBRA coverage."

Source: NAHU Newswire 

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009121801nahu&r=3942519-a2e0

USA Today (12/14, Wolf) reports on the Senate proposal to expand Medicare, noting that "liberal Democrats backing the plan see it as a potential salvation for people approaching retirement with chronic diseases or medical risks." But moderate "members of the Democratic caucus have concerns" about the deficit and a government takeover of healthcare, and "Republican opponents say Medicare's low reimbursement rates for hospitals and doctors will drive up premiums for those with private insurance -- or will stop medical providers from accepting new Medicare patients."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009121401nahu&r=3942519-8de1

CQ HealthBeat (12/9, Reichard, subscription required) reports that the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) "issued alerts labeled 'urgent' to their members" on Tuesday, urging their members to "pressure Senate Democrats to jettison an emerging plan that would allow certain people of ages 55 to 64 to buy into the federal Medicare program.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009120901nahu&r=3942519-b20e

The Senate voted yesterday to defeat a GOP amendment to the healthcare bill, sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), that would reduce Medicare funding by $460 billion.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009120401nahu&r=3942519-6662

The AMA opposes the creation of an independent board that could slow the growth of Medicare costs and limits on physician-owned hospitals.

The Senate bill would block the Medicare pay cuts to doctors set to take effect in January, but the group is calling for the Senate to go further and pass a permanent repeal of the underlying payment formula.

Here’s the AMA’s letter to Harry Reid.

Source: WSJ

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/12/03/what-doctors-say-about-the-senate-health-care-bill/

The Senate began debate on the first amendments to Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) healthcare overhaul proposal on Tuesday, and media reports note that, as expected, the rhetoric contained a heavy dose of partisanship.

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009120201nahu&r=3942519-43af

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (11/24, Keefe) reports that the "health reform bill the Senate will take up next week would extend coverage to 1.7 million Georgians -- either through expansions in Medicaid or by allowing them to enroll in public insurance exchanges -- who do not currently have health insurance, according to a report released Monday by" HHS. But "Georgia's Republican lawmaker...counter Democrats' claims of big savings, saying both the bill already passed by the US House and the bill pending in the Senate would cost the state -- and all its residents -- dearly." Sebelius said that she "understands the concerns," but that "they aren't mentioning the potential savings to the states."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009112401nahu&r=3942519-4616

The AP (11/22, Espo) reported that Senate Democrats, "invoking the memory" of Sen. Edward Kennedy, "united Saturday night to push historic healthcare legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat" on President Obama. There was "not a vote to spare" as the Senate voted 60-39 to formally start debate on the measure. Sen. George Voinovich (OH), a Republican who opposes the bill, was not present. The AP says the vote "cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009112301nahu&r=3942519-f88d

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) made a late change to his bill by adding an extra Medicare payroll tax, which would generate $54 billion over 10 years according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Under the plan, wages over $200,000 for single people and $250,000 for married couples would be subject to a 1.95% payroll tax, up from the current 1.45%.

Source: WSJ

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125868229026056763.html

Media reports on the Senate healthcare reform bill -- which included reports on two network newscasts -- generally cast the measure in a positive light. ABC World News (11/18, story 2, 00:30, Gibson) reported, "On Capitol Hill, after weeks of delay, Senate Democrats" released "a cost estimate on their healthcare reform bill. The total cost is pegged at $849 billion over ten years, and they claim it would still cut the deficit by $127 billion over that period. It would provide coverage to 94% of Americans including 31 million people who do not now have coverage."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009111901nahu&r=3942519-5f19

Bloomberg News (11/17) columnist Celestine Bohlen writes, "According to scare talk from right-wing radio hosts, and even the op-ed pages of some of America's most respected newspapers, capitalist America is now speeding hell-bent down the road to socialized medicine -- following in Europe's tragic footsteps." But here is "what's odd about this nightmare scenario. Few Europeans consider themselves doomed by their comprehensive healthcare plans," and "there is no evidence that their system does damage to people's health." She concludes, "There's nothing particularly socialist about the European approach to healthcare. Rather, providing more coverage for less money, with no adverse consequences for the health of the population, is just sound policy. Ideology has nothing to do with it."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009111701nahu&r=3942519-b066

The AP (11/16, Yen) reports, "The government paid more than $47 billion in questionable Medicare claims including medical treatment showing little relation to a patient's condition, wasting taxpayer dollars at a rate nearly three times the previous year," according to a "fiscal 2009 financial report." According to the AP, President Obama "is expected to announce new initiatives this coming week to help crack down on Medicare fraud, including a government-wide website aimed at providing a fuller account of healthcare spending and improper payments made by various agencies."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009111601nahu&r=3942519-79cc

The AP (11/4, Espo) reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) "signaled Tuesday that Congress may fail to meet a year-end deadline for passing healthcare legislation, leaving the measure's fate to the uncertainties of the 2010 election season." The statement was "a blow to the White House," according to the AP. In a "weekly closed-door meeting of rank-and-file Democrats," Sen. Reid said, "We're not going to be bound by any timelines. We need to do the best job we can for the American people." Still, "Reid's office revised his remarks" later, saying that Congress could "still send a bill to the president by Christmas."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009110401nahu&r=3942519-8756

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) released a revised version of health care reform legislation on Thursday. The 1,990-page measure, now known as H.R. 3962, includes a government-run public plan option to be offered through a national health insurance exchange that would negotiate rates with providers. However, the plan would initially be financed with public money and would not have to pay taxes and maintain solvency standards like private insurers. The Congressional Budget Office has provided a preliminary estimate that the bill will cost $894 billion over a 10-year period. The Joint Committee on Taxation has also prepared a fiscal analysis. 

Source: NAHU Government Affairs

http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=175242935&message_id=855332&user_id=NAHU_2

The CBS Evening News (10/26, story 2, 2:15, Cordes) reported, "For months, the public option was declared dead in the Senate," but on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) "announced that the contentious government plan would be the cornerstone of the new Senate healthcare reform bill." Sen. Reid said, "The public option can achieve the goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system." NBC Nightly News (10/26, story 5, 1:15, O'Donnell) reported, "Leaders of both parties had predicted that a public option was dead. But tonight it is back, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is taking a risk." But "for more liberal Democrats, this kind of public option or any kind of public option is considered a victory."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009102701nahu&r=3942519-98e9

The Hill (10/19, Romm) reports that Republicans are celebrating the end of a CMS policy "banning Medicare providers from disseminating information to subscribers about possible cuts" to Medicare Advantage plans from healthcare reform as "a party victory" and a "total policy shift." However, the Obama Administration "insisted that its original order, issued at the end of September, was merely a legal guidance for Medicare insurers -- not a 'gag order' on plan changes, as Republicans first charged." CMS issued the order "after Humana, a leading Medicare Advantage provider, mailed its beneficiaries to inform them how the Senate Finance Committee healthcare proposal could affect their plans."

Source: NAHU Newswire

http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2009101901nahu&r=3942519-9455

The estimate, issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), says that the measure would cost the federal government $829 billion over a 10-year period, and that it would reduce the federal deficit by $81 billion over that same time period. Unlike H.R. 3200, which would substantially raise the federal deficit beyond the 10-year budget projections, the CBO and JCT estimate that the Finance measure would continue to reduce the federal deficit beyond the 10-year budget window. However, this assessment is based on the assumption that the provisions of the measure remain unchanged over time, which the CBO acknowledges is unlikely with legislation of this magnitude. 

Source: NAHU Government Affairs

http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=175242935&message_id=839144&user_id=NAHU_2