Archive | May, 2012

Senators Push For COBRA Benefit Extension

CongressDaily: “Democratic senators are aiming to pass legislation to extend subsidies to help the unemployed and underemployed afford healthcare coverage before federal funding expires at the end of this year, Sen. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pa., said today.

Fact Checks Examine Various Health Care Reform Claims

News outlets provide a variety of fact checks on health care reform. The Christian Science Monitor reports on four key issues – a public option, raising taxes and cutting costs, individual mandates and abortion – that may become points of major differences when expected debate begins Nov. 30 on the Senate bill.

Senators Away For Holiday Continue Health Debate At Home

Senators away for the Thanksgiving holiday are continuing the health care reform debate with constituents and are facing far less vitriol than during the August recess. CongressDaily: “In a memorandum to members, Senate Democratic leaders suggested this is a prime time to frame the debate because momentum is growing after Saturday night’s vote to start debate on the measure. …

KHN Column: Don’t Rationalize Busting The Budget — Start Over

In this Kaiser Health News column, Robert Laszewski writes about concerns that the reform measures being considered on Capitol Health do not slow the growth of health care costs. “You would be hard pressed to find any health policy expert who isn’t disappointed that cost containment has fallen off the health care ‘reform’ express.

Poll: Public Most Concerned With Bread-And-Butter Issues In Health Reform Debate

Kaiser Health News staff writer Chris Weaver examines a Kaiser Family Foundation poll that “shows little movement in measures of public opinion” on health reform. About one-third like the current Democratic bills, another third want reform, but not what Democratic lawmakers have in mind and one-quarter think Congress should not spend time on the issue now.

Health Companies’ Momentum May Cut Right Through Reform Savings

Health companies have done better than the rest of corporate America during the past decade, MarketWatch/Seattle Times reports. While profits at the S&P 500 companies declined slightly over 10 years, “[d]ata compiled by MarketWatch show that the 52 health-care companies in the index are about to close out the decade with average profits that nearly tripled.

Health Reform Financing Ideas Watered Down, Questions Remain On Premiums, Taxes

The New York Times reports that while the Senate health bill “includes nearly every big idea that health economists and medical researchers have for slowing cost growth – as well as for improving the patchwork quality of American health care, … many of the ideas, like the rule on Medicare reimbursement, have been at least partly neutered.

How Health Reform Could Affect Premiums

Kaiser Health News’ Julie Appleby examines what could happen if health legislation in Congress passes: “Republicans say premiums would go up, partly because of the possibility of new taxes on insurers. Democrats say they’ll go down because of sweeping new regulations on insurers, as well as billions in federal subsidies to help individuals and small businesses. Who’s right? Perhaps both.

Sen. Casey Says He Will Work To Change Abortion Language In Senate Health Reform Bill

Antiabortion-rights Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) on Tuesday said he will try to change the abortion coverage provisions in the Senate health care reform bill, although he stopped short of saying he would oppose the legislation unless restrictions similar to those in the House version (

Lobbyists – Including Some Surprise Players – Keep The Heat On Health Legislation

Washington groups have lobbied Congress and the public in nearly every imaginable direction on health reform. But those groups include a few that you may not have guessed would have an interest.