THE DAILY DOSE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2009

Under the Microscope

• Health Care Surcharge and Households
• Health Care Surcharge and Small Businesses
• Health Bill Would Raise Less Revenue Than Reagan and Bush Tax Increases
• How the Health Care Surcharge Works
• Summary of Revenue Provisions

Health Care Headlines

• Obama Aides Say President is Lobbying Furiously for Health Bill
  White House officials promise that President Barack Obama will be more engaged than ever with lawmakers and the public on health care this month and next as the legislation enters a critical phase, with both the House and Senate trying to move bills onto the floor before recessing for the summer. [Roll Call, 7/15/2009]
• House Bill Would Make Health Care A Right
  House Democratic leaders, pledging to meet the president's goal of health care legislation before their August break, are offering a $1.5 trillion plan that for the first time would make health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans. [Associated Press, 7/15/2009]
• House Overhaul Bill Shows Changes
  The final version of a tri-committee health overhaul bill unveiled Tuesday by House Democrats largely resembles an earlier draft bill, but there are some key differences in the details. “It has been improved,” said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md. [CQ HealthBeat, 7/14/2009] Read a related article in Politico.
• Senate Committee Approves Health Care Bill
  Voting on strict party lines, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved a bill on Wednesday to revamp the nation’s health care system, as Democrats said that the legislation held the promise of more universal health coverage and more effective and affordable medical care while Republicans argued that the measure was unaffordable and would lead not to better care but to the denial of it. [New York Times, 7/15/2009] Read about one provision in the HELP bill.
• How Much Health Care for $1 Trillion?
  The White House and Democratic congressional leaders, scrambling to pass health care bills within the next few weeks, are trying to keep the cost of legislation that expands coverage and controls costs to about $1 trillion over 10 years — a benchmark for moderates in both parties. [USA Today, 7/14/2009]
  Read a related L.A. Times article.
• Coalition Members Weigh Options On Employer Mandate
  A loose coalition of businesses, labor unions and think tanks continues to monitor the development of healthcare legislation despite the rift caused this month when Wal-Mart and two other high-profile members endorsed a proposal that would require most employers to provide health care for their employees. [CongressDaily, 7/15/2009]
• Eshoo Pushes For 12-Year Exclusivity On Biologic Drugs
  Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., on Tuesday made a hard sell for legislation she introduced in March she says would offer "a straightforward, scientifically based process" for swift approval of new biologic drugs by giving 12 years of market exclusivity to original biotech products before unleashing generic competitors. [CongressDaily, 7/15/2009] Read about recent ads on biologic drugs.
• Organ Donors Run Risk of Being Denied Health Insurance
  By not making clear the financial risk of organ donation, insurers put donors in danger of losing affordable coverage and discourage potential donors from helping someone in need. [L.A. Times, 7/15/2009]
• Nursing-Home Ratings Earn Mixed Reviews
  When 81-year-old Sally Darr needed nursing home care after injuring herself in a fall, her family turned to a new federal rating system for help. [Washington Post, 7/14/2009]
• Surgeon General Pick Boosts Primary Care
  The president's choice for U.S. surgeon general, Regina Benjamin, puts a primary-care physician in a prominent role as the administration pushes to reorient the health-care system toward prevention and primary care. [Wall Street Journal, 7/15/2009] Read the editorial on Dr. Benjamin.
• EDITORIAL: Improve Care, Lower Costs
  More primary-care physicians, treatment standards and electronic medical records would help.
  [L.A. Times, 7/13/2009]
• OPINION: A 9-1-1 for Health-Care Reform: Send Leadership Now
  By Steven Pearlstein
  There are moments in the life of any important policy debate when things hit a dead end. There aren't any easy answers, any options that don't involve real political risk. And it's at those moments when you discover who the real leaders are. [Washington Post, 7/15/2009]
• OPINION: Right Is Wrong to Attack Obama’s Health Plan
  By Matt Miller, former Clinton administration budget official and author
  The Republican charge that Barack Obama is seeking a “government takeover” of US healthcare is further proof that American political rhetoric has become detached from reality. [Financial Times, 7/13/2009]
• OPINION: Playing the Abortion Card
  By Dana Goldstein, associate editor
  Conservatives are crying "abortion" in their efforts to derail health reform. But progress for reproductive rights is far from assured. [American Prospect, 7/14/2009]