THE DAILY DOSE: THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2009

Under the Microscope

Health Care Headlines

• Obama: Health care reform essential to stability
  Praising and prodding Congress at once, President Barack Obama on Wednesday said a vast reform of the nation's health insurance system is required to head off instability to families, industry and the government itself.
  [Associated Press, 7/15/2009]
• The Influence Game: Grass-Roots Health Care Fight
  As the right drums up opposition to [Obama’s health] plan, it is competing against an aggressive White House, a still-brawny Obama political operation and well-funded progressive groups that are using the Internet, television and other techniques to mobilize grass-roots support. [Washington Post, 7/16/2009]
  Read more about White House political strategy and ad buys for Dodd and Reid.
• Obama Eyes The Purse Strings for Medicare
  At the same time President Obama is asking members of Congress to take one of the most politically difficult votes of their careers, he is also pressing lawmakers to give up one of their most valued perks of office: boosting Medicare payments to benefit hometown providers.
  [Washington Post,7/16/2009]
• Democrats Press for HMO Fees to Fund Health Reform
  A group of Democrats on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday called for health insurers to pay fees worth up to $100 billion over a decade to help pay for the overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system. [Reuters, 7/16/2009] Read a related article here.
• House Health Bill Under Fire
  Hours after a jubilant House Democratic leadership rolled out what they hope will be landmark health care legislation, the gritty work of actually passing it began. [Roll Call, 7/16/2009] Read a related article.
• Hoyer and GOP Group Talk Health Care
  House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer sat down with a group of moderate Republicans Wednesday in a cursory session to talk health care, even though Democrats aren’t expecting any GOP votes for the bill. [Politico, 7/16/2009] Read more on efforts of bipartisanship.
• House Battle Over Health Overhaul Begins in Education and Labor
  The committee was the first of three in the House to begin markup of the massive legislation fashioned by Democrats, and expected to hear opening statements on Wednesday followed by amendments Thursday. [CQ HealthBeat, 7/15/2009]
• Physician Unrest Flares Over AMA Stand
  Concerned that the American Medical Association has taken too tepid a position on Democratic healthcare reform plans, a coalition of state medical associations and specialty organizations is breaking from the country's largest physicians' group to mount its own push against the inclusion of a public insurance option in any overhaul bill. [CongressDaily, 7/16/2009]
• HHS: Uninsured Americans Were One-Fifth of ER Visits in 2006
  Uninsured Americans comprised nearly one-fifth of the 120 million hospital-based emergency room visits in 2006, according to data released Wednesday by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. [CQ HealthBeat, 7/15/2009]
• EDITORIAL: A Strong Health Reform Bill
  While the Senate continues to struggle over its approach to health care reform, House Democratic leaders have unveiled a bill that would go a long way toward solving the nation’s health insurance problems without driving up the deficit. [New York Times, 7/15/2009]
• OPINION: GOP Pushing Hidden Health Care Tax on All Americans, Not Reform
  By George Miller (D-CA), chairman, House Education & Labor Committee
  Republicans and right wing commentators who oppose health care reform hope to turn our effort at lowering costs and expanding access into a debate about whether or not to tax small businesses. In opposing our reform they would instead continue the hidden health care tax on all Americans that exceeds the surcharge on the highest income taxpayers that is included in the House bill.
  [The Huffington Post, 7/15/2009]
• OPINION: Health Care Will Reduce Costs, Increase Choice
  By Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
  This week the House of Representatives began consideration of sweeping health care reform that promises to reduce our nation’s growing health care costs, cover all Americans and protects consumer choice. [The Hill, 7/15/2009]
• OPINION: What Do Voters Want?
  By Mark Mellman, democratic pollster
  What do voters want from healthcare reform? [The Hill, 7/14/2009]