Health Reform in the House | Fact of the Day H.R. 3962 provides incentive payments in the Medicare program to physicians practicing in the most cost-efficient areas of the country. | | Follow Health Insurance Reform
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At the Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $44,649,825,120 since January 1, 2009 in Additional Premium Costs to Cover Care for the Uninsured. Under the Microscope HOUSE BACK IN SESSION The House is back in session today and the Democratic Caucus wll be meeting tonight on health insurance reform. While talks on reconciling the two chambers' bills have been on-going, no final decisions on anything have been made and our goals remain the same: affordability, accessibility and fiscal responsibility.
Health Care Headlines Obama Meets With Union Leaders to Discuss Health-Care Reform
President Obama sought on Monday evening to assuage organized labor's misgivings about the health-care overhaul, even as several key union leaders warned that the bill's final outlines could severely dampen their enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket in this year's elections.
[Washington Post, 1/12/2010] President Signals Flexibility on Health Plan Tax
President Obama told union leaders at a private White House meeting on Monday that he remained committed to taxing high-cost insurance policies as a way to drive down health costs. [New York Times, 1/12/2010] Democrats Weigh New Tax On Investment Income
House and Senate negotiators are considering applying for the first time the Medicare payroll tax to investment income as part of a compromise to pay for a health overhaul.
[Wall Street Journal, 1/12/2010] Analysts Question Savings, Revenue In Health Care Bill
As Democratic leaders continue talks this week over how to pay for health care legislation, they are coming under renewed pressure from independent analysts who question whether long-term savings called for in the bill are realistic. [USA Today, 1/12/2010] Deadline Looms Over Reform
House and Senate Democrats still have major differences to iron out as they race to send President Barack Obama health care reform before his State of the Union address — not the least of which is whether they can even meet his latest deadline. [Politico, 1/12/2010] Dems Stiffen Spines on Health Bill
Back home, nervous Democrats sound squishy on health care reform. Some will return to Washington this week demanding changes. A few will almost certainly threaten to withhold their votes. [Politico, 1/12/2010] House, Senate View Health Exchanges Differently
Getting a final health overhaul bill to President Obama's desk by the end of the month or early February remains the goal of lawmakers who are returning to Washington this week. [NPR, 1/12/2010] U.S. GAO Finds “Extraordinary” Increases In Drug Prices
Prices for hundreds of brand-name drugs have soared since the beginning of the decade, especially those that treat depression, infections and heart disease, according to a U.S. government report on Monday. [Reuters, 1/11/2010] New Breast Screening Limits Face Reversal
Annual mammograms, seemingly on their way out under new federal guidelines last year, may be coming back. The final health-care bill is likely to require coverage for more mammograms than the new guidelines recommend after women's groups, doctors and imaging-equipment makers stepped up pressure on lawmakers -- one of many threads of the bill negotiated behind the scenes. [Wall Street Journal, 1/12/2010] EDITORIAL: Will President Obama Defend the 'Cadillac Tax' To Cut Health-Care Costs?
White House meeting between President Obama and labor leaders focused on one of the most contentious -- and most sensible -- aspects of health reform: the proposed tax on employer-provided, high-value health insurance plans. [Washington Post, 1/12/2010] | 