THE DAILY DOSE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 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 H.R. 3962 prohibits state Medicaid programs from denying coverage for tobacco cessation products.

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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 $40,617,323,344 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured.

Under the Microscope

BROAD CONSENSUS REACHED

Senate Majority Leader Reid announced last night that the Senate group of 10 has reached a broad agreement over the public option provision.  Official details of the agreement won’t be released until they hear final cost implications from CBO in the next couple of days.  The ten moderate and progressive Senators represent a broad range of views in the Democratic Caucus, and this agreement is a significant step forward in passing a Senate health insurance reform bill.

AMENDMENTS IN PLAY

While the Senate has considered almost 20 amendments thus far, below are a few slated to be considered soon.

Yesterday, Senator Warner and other freshman Democratic Senators offered a package of amendments that would encourage innovation and lower costs for consumers.  One of the cost-containment amendments would encourage Medicare to implement quality-based payment systems in place of quantity-based measures.  The amendments package enjoys support from AARP, the Business Roundtable, and the New America Foundation.  Read the summary of the amendments.

This afternoon, Senators Landrieu, Lincoln, and Stabenow will unveil small business amendments to the reform bill.  And later this week, Senator Dorgan is expected to offer an amendment on prescription drug importation.

REPORT ON MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PRIVATE INSURERS

Today Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Waxman and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Stupak released a new report which found that 34 Medicare Advantage insurers expend significant sums on profits, marketing, and other corporate expenses.  Last year, the insurers spent an average of $1,450 per beneficiary on profits, marketing, and other corporate expenses, nearly ten times as much as traditional Medicare spent on administrative expenses per beneficiary.

Read the report and the summary.

Health Care Headlines

Reid: Senate Democratic Negotiators Reach ‘Broad Agreement’
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced Tuesday evening that a group of 10 moderate and liberal Democratic senators had reached a tentative agreement on a compromise on the controversial “public option” provision of the Senate health care overhaul proposal. [CQ HealthBeat, 12/8/2009]

Senate Rejects Abortion Amendment to Health Reform Legislation
The Senate voted against strengthening restrictions for federal funding of abortion Tuesday evening, a development that could imperil Democrats’ efforts to pass an underlying healthcare reform bill.
[The Hill, 12/8/2009]

Aetna Overstated Spending On Patient-Care Category
Aetna Inc. spent less money on patient care for some small businesses than it originally reported in regulatory filings, according to a Senate committee scrutinizing insurers' profits as Congress pushes to overhaul the health-care system. [Wall Street Journal, 12/8/2009]

Profiles: How Could Health Care Reform Affect You?
A young woman without health insurance. A small business owner. A woman just diagnosed with breast cancer. The PBS NewsHour talks to health policy analysts about how health care reform could affect these individuals and other real people. [PBS Newshour, 12/7/2009] View a profile video.

EDITORIAL: Health Reform's Heavy Lifting
As the senate weighed whether to proceed to debate on health-care reform, we hoped lawmakers would take up an imperfect measure and improve it. So far they've done one but not the other.
[Washington Post, 12/9/2009]

COMMENTARY: Finding the Nerve to Cut Health Costs
By David Leonhardt
Over the next several weeks, members of Congress will be confronted with one scary story after another about what will happen if they try to cut health care costs. [New York Times, 12/9/2009]

COMMENTARY: Medicare Vs. Private Insurers
By Ezra Klein
Olympia Snowe is opposed to the Medicare buy-in idea. Joe Lieberman is open to it. We'll see if he stays that way. The more I think about it, the better it looks, which means the more likely it is to be opposed.
[Washington Post, 12/8/2009]