Health Reform in the House | Fact of the Day Only 9 percent of physicians practice in rural America even though 20 percent of the population lives in these areas. The House health insurance reform legislation provides a 10 percent incentive payment for primary care doctors practicing in underserved areas, which combined with a current bonus for physicians in shortage areas, will help recruit and retain primary care physicians where they are needed most. | | Follow Health Insurance Reform
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At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $32,442,933,448 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured. Under the Microscope Giving Time As Needed The House had another joint Democratic Caucus and Whip Meeting today on health insurance reform. Also today, the DNC held a press conference call with Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and Judy Chu (D-CA) to discuss why as medical professionals and Members of Congress, they support health insurance reform. The Senate Finance Committee is on track to finish their reform markup this week but will vote on the bill next week, allowing Committee Members more time to review the bill before voting. Rural Health Care And Reform Today HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a report in a rural community in Washington state about using health information technology to improve health care for Americans living in rural communities. Read about an example of HIT working to improve care here. Also today Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and Reps. Tom Perriello (D-VA) and Steve Kagan, MD (D-WI) sponsored a discussion on the need for health reform in rural America. Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein was the moderator and he discusses the event here. View www.statefairstories.org for stories, videos, and facts on health care in the heartland.
Read about how rural America would benefit from House health insurance reform legislation.
Read a report on health care in rural areas.
Health Care Headlines House Leaders Trying to Give All Democrats a Say
The Senate poses the main hurdle to President Obama’s effort to overhaul the health care system. But passing so far-reaching a bill in the House is not going to be easy either. [New York Times, 10/1/09] Senate Finance Panel Has Votes To Pass Health Bill, Baucus Says
Democrats on a key Senate panel backed off a plan to impose billions of dollars in new taxes on senior citizens with catastrophic medical expenses Wednesday and defeated Republican amendments on abortion, immigration and other divisive issues, aiming to bring a comprehensive health-care overhaul before the full Senate within two weeks. [Washington Post, 10/1/09] Senate Dems Will Push Public Plan
Senate Democratic leaders signaled Thursday that their version of health care overhaul will include some form of a public option, but it may be limited in scope so they can secure 60 votes to break a Republican filibuster. [Politico, 10/1/09] Read more ideas about this here. Rate of Enrollment in Medicaid Rose Rapidly, Report Says
The recession is driving up enrollment in Medicaid at higher than expected rates, threatening gargantuan state budget gaps even as Congress and the White House seek to expand the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled, according to a survey released Wednesday. [New York Times, 10/1/09] Jindal To GOP: Work With Obama
Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal urged his party Tuesday to shift to offering health care solutions instead of just rejecting what President Barack Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress are proposing. [Politico, 9/30/2009] EDITORIAL: Abortion And Health Care Reform
Critics of pending health care reforms claim they want to ensure that the government does not thrust itself between patients and doctors to dictate what medical procedures can be performed. Yet many are trying to do just that when it comes to one legal and medically valid service: abortion. [New York Times, 10/1/09] OPINION: The Centrist Public Option
By E.J.Dionne Jr.
The strangest aspect of the debate over a public option for health coverage is that the centrists who oppose it should love it. It doesn't involve a government takeover of the health-care system. The idea is that only consumers who want to enroll in a government-run health plan would do so. [Washington Post, 10/1/09] | 