Health Reform in the House | Fact of the Day H.R. 3962 requires state Medicaid programs to cover services furnished by optometrists. | | Follow Health Insurance Reform
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At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $40,747,002,767 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured. Under the Microscope FLIP-FLOPPING PARTY OF NO Senate Republicans continue to say “no” to any and all solutions, even if it contradicts earlier statements of “no.” Today Senate Minority Leader McConnell and Senator Gregg, both of whom in the recent past have urged delay of the Senate bill, today turned around to accuse the Senate of not moving the health bill fast enough. Apparently they didn’t get RNC Chairman Steele’s new memo. Flip flopping on what they’re against, whether it be Medicare or the pace of legislation, to try to score political points seems to be the only idea the GOP consistently supports. THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY In what seems like an advocacy campaign at first glance, in reality is health insurers “gaming” democracy: paying constituents in virtual currency to send form emails on health insurance reform to their Member of Congress. Constituents then use the virtual currency in Facebook games. It’s time for health insurers to be honest with the American people. Healthcare Opponents Using Scammy Social Gaming to Get People To Spam Congress
Health insurance industry trade groups opposed to President Obama's health care reform bill are paying Facebook users fake money — called "virtual currency" — to send letters to Congress protesting the bill. [Gawker, 12/10/2009]
Health Care Headlines Senate Democrats Largely Support Health-Care Deal That Drops Public Option
Senate Democrats on Wednesday largely embraced a compromise that dropped a "public option" from health-care legislation, setting aside their concerns about aspects of the consensus plan in the hopes that the deal hatched by negotiators would serve as a rallying point in their push for the passage of reforms.
[Washington Post, 12/10/2009] Senate Democrats See Hope on Health Bill
Senate Democrats said on Wednesday that they were not sure exactly what was in a deal that the majority leader said would surmount a disagreement over a proposed government-run health plan. But they voiced guarded optimism that it would ultimately help them pass major health care legislation.
[New York Times, 12/10/2009] If 'Public Option' Is No Longer An Option In Senate Bill, Then What?
While confusion reigned on Capitol Hill on Wednesday over the prospects and details of a Senate deal to replace a government-run insurance plan with other measures, it is not too soon to ask what the proposal would mean for regular people. [Washington Post, 12/10/2009] Showdown Vote Nears On Importing Low-Cost Drugs
A bipartisan group of lawmakers hopes to finally win a long struggle to ease curbs against importing low-cost prescription drugs but will have to overcome the Obama administration and the pharmaceutical industry to do so. [Associated Press, 12/20/2009] House Democrats Warm to Senate Compromise
House Democrats, including some prominent liberals, appear to be warming to the reported Senate health care compromise, despite the inclusion of a “trigger” for a public insurance option. [Roll Call, 12/9/2009] Democrats: Private Medicare Plans Waste Billions
Private health insurance companies that offer alternative Medicare coverage funnel billions of dollars toward company profits and marketing efforts rather than to patient care, U.S. Democrats said in a report released on Wednesday. [Reuters, 12/9/2009] Read the report. EDITORIAL: The Non-Public Option
Ten Democratic senators are calling for abandoning the much-maligned “public option” — a government-run health insurance plan to compete with private insurers — and replacing it with two programs that might achieve the same goal of expanding Americans’ choices and providing some competition.
[New York Times, 12/10/2009] EDITORIAL: Don't Kill Reform Over The Public Option
Five moderate Senate Democrats struck a tentative compromise this week with five liberal colleagues over the contentious public option, or government-run health plan for uninsured individuals and small businesses.
[Los Angeles Time, 12/20/2009] | 