THE DAILY DOSE: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2009

Health Reform in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee on Ways and Means Committee on Education and Labor

Fact of the Day There are no co-pays under Medicare for cancer screenings and other preventive services in the House health reform legislation.

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Health Resources Majority Leader Clearinghouse HealthReform.gov MedPAC Alliance for Health Reform National Health Policy Forum Kaiser Family Foundation Families USA Commonwealth Fund Robert Wood Johnson Foundation RAND Health Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Partnership for Prevention Trust for America’s Health Synthesis Project

At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $35,503,667,408 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured.

Under the Microscope

REFORM WITHIN REACH

Today House Democrats will hold another Caucus meeting on health insurance reform.  House Majority Leader Hoyer announced that floor debate on a new bill may begin next week.  Yesterday Senate Majority Leader Reid announced that the Senate would have a public health insurance option fully financed by premiums, that states could opt out of.

HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM & BREAST CANCER

In time for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the White House released a report on Health Insurance Reform and Breast Cancer: Making the Health Care System Work For Women.  The one in eight women who develop breast cancer during their lifetime, face significant hurdles to receiving timely and affordable treatment.  Health insurance reform will make sure more women have stable access to affordable health coverage through affordability credits and limits on out-of-pocket spending.  Mammography and cancer screenings will become more affordable and women with or who recover from breast cancer won’t have to fear losing health coverage if they lose their job.  On Friday, the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden spoke to a crowd of survivors, lawmakers, and doctors about the importance of adequate coverage for those facing the disease.  View the video here.

Health Care Headlines

Reid Says Bill Will Include a Public Option
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid announced Monday that he will include a government-backed insurance plan in the chamber's health-care reform legislation, a key concession to liberals who have threatened to oppose a bill without such a public option. [Washington Post, 10/27/2009]

Republicans Impatient With Leaders, Awaiting Healthcare Alternative
Some House Republicans are growing frustrated that their leaders have not yet introduced a healthcare reform alternative. For months, the message from House GOP leaders on a healthcare bill has been similar to ads for yet-to-be-released movies: Coming soon. [The Hill, 10/27/2009]

Long-Term Care Insurance Program Gains in House
House health care legislation expected within days is likely to include a new long-term care insurance program to help seniors and disabled people stay out of nursing homes, senior Democrats say.
[Associated Press, 10/27/2009]

Medical Device Lobby Wins Lower Fee in House Bill
House lawmakers will propose a $20 billion fee on medical device makers, while Senate leaders have whittled down their plans to tax the industry to pay for the health overhaul. [Wall Street Journal, 10/26/2009]

Top Economic Adviser Touts Health Insurance Tax and Public Option
A senior economic adviser to President Barack Obama says two proposals are key to reining in healthcare spending: a tax on expensive health insurance plans and a public health insurance option.
[The Hill, 10/26/2009]

Pelosi: Health Care 'Public Option' Needs New Name
A government-sponsored "public option" for health care lives, though it may be more attractive to skeptics if it goes by a different moniker, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday. [Associated Press, 10/26/2009]

Study: Uninsured Individuals With Chronic Diseases More Likely To Go Untreated
Nearly half of uninsured diabetics do not know that they have diabetes, according to a Web-exclusive Health Affairs report published Oct. 20. [Health Affairs, 10/26/2009] Read the two papers.