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Health Insurance Reform

February 19, 2010

This week on Health Insurance Reform

Although lawmakers left Washington this week to break the Presidents' Day, the debate continued on to amplify the next Summit of Health. The Summit, scheduled for February 25 Washington, DC, is considered by members of the media to be the best attempt of President Barack Obama to save his health reform program. Some Republicans Summit seen as political theater and a political trap for the GOP. White House officials insist, however, that the Summit aims to find solutions issues such as insurance premiums rise.

Negotiations care reform Health

The President extends Invites Obama Health Summit provides Agenda: On Friday, White House officials invited 21 lawmakers – Republicans and Democrats alike – to attend the Health Summit. The list includes top leaders in the House and Senate, and committees with jurisdiction over health legislation. In addition, the top four House leaders and the Senate gave everyone the opportunity to invite four other lawmakers of the Summit. The meeting will ultimately consist of 20 Democrats and 17 Republicans.

Officials of the Office of White House Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation have also been invited. President Obama invited the leaders of the House or Senate Budget Committee, however, including Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Ranking Member of Judd Gregg (R-NH).

The invitation describes the format of the meeting as follows:

* President Obama will offer opening remarks.
* A leading Republican lawmaker and a leading Democratic lawmaker each comment.
* Later the President will moderate a dialogue on: insurance reform, cost containment, expand coverage and impact of health legislation on the deficit.

Before the summit, President Obama has called on Senate Democrats and House to resolve differences between their bills and prepare a final proposal. However, Democrats the House, said Thursday that a single plan may not be ready on time. President Obama also challenged the Republicans to present a comprehensive reform package the Summit. The Chairman undertook to publish the plan of the Democrats in line before the 25th of this month. Members of the media suggested that President Obama can also make their own health care reform proposal available.

Stop the demand for the Republicans in the transaction Bill: On Friday, leaders Republicans sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid Senate (D-NV) and House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), in response to the request of the Administration Congressional Democrats to merge House and Senate bills as a starting point for negotiations. In the letter, Republican leaders said that the merger of the bills amount to an agreement behind the scenes "between the White House and Democratic leaders" and would undermine the bipartisan negotiations Summit. The Republicans are demanding that Democrats scrap the current proposals and start again.

Ask Senate Democrats of Public Choice: Sixteen Democratic senators, including Michael Bennett (D-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) sent a letter on Tuesday to Senate Majority Harry Reid, asking him to bring the public option to back up one vote, while also making the case for using a process called reconciliation as a way to move forward the legislation. The senators support this approach, citing the following reasons:

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Savings cost achieved by the inclusion of public choice
* Ongoing public support for public choice (quoting December 1, 2009 The New York Times / CBS which showed that 59 percent of Americans support the public choice)
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Need for greater competition in the insurance market and
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Senate history to use the reconciliation process to reform health care

Democratic leaders have resisted so far to reconciliation to bypass a Republican filibuster, as it seems too partisan (since it only requires a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate).

Activities additional

Anthem Blue Cross delays Rate Increase: On Saturday, Anthem Blue Cross of California agreed to postpone a rate increase March 1 to May 1 2010. This decision was made at the request of the California Insurance Commissioner to exercise a third-party actuary to review the presentation. This additional time will allow external experts to review the detailed and complex information about medical expenses that the company expects to incur. In response to criticism, Anthem Blue Cross parent company, WellPoint, Inc., held a press conference Thursday morning to address concerns and answer questions.

As the focus on insurance costs intensifies, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, also gave a press conference on Thursday to discuss a new government report on the increase in insurance premiums across the country. He cited examples from Washington State to Maine in which insurers have tried to increases in premiums for those who buy individual coverage. Speaking on behalf of the industry, Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, said that "the focus should be on the upward trend the costs of health care. "

New Study – Tax Will Fall also of the Union and Nonunion Members: A new analysis the controversial proposed tax on high-cost health insurance plans shows that the impact of taxes begin to be equal in the plans for union and nonunion. The tax is a critical component to the bill passed the Senate in late December. The analysis is complemented by Ken Jacobs of the University of California at Berkeley Labor Center, and William H. Dow, professor of health economics at Berkeley and a member of President George W. Bush 's Council of Economic Advisers.

State Build steam by state Approach: With the national debate on health reform stalled until the Summit, the argument Deja care reform health states has created a momentum in the last week. Supporters of a nation-state through, including Missouri Sen. Charlie Shields (R), believe that a national reform of the health care effort would ignore local variations in the markets for health care and politics. To this end, state legislators, including Colorado, California and Virginia have recently taken steps to develop their own reform legislation. By contrast, supporters of the national approach to combat the States would not be able to carry out substantial reforms (as they are currently liquidity problems and not in a position to launch new initiatives).

Tauzin is lowered PhRMA head: last week, former Republican Congressman Billy Tauzin of Louisiana announced plans to retire as head of trade association for the pharmaceutical industry PhRMA, in late June. Mr. Tauzin helped negotiate the $ 80,000,000,000 agreement between drug manufacturers and President Obama as part of the Management Plan for health reform. Members of the news media that some of the PhRMA board members were concerned that more members of the House liberal to try to force the industry to commit to more deals. Some also felt that Mr. Tauzin conceded too much in the negotiation process, including the expenditure up to $ 100 million for the reform of advertising.

Public opinion

Submit Vote Americans want to start: The survey further suggests that while Americans want Congress to get moving on reform of health care, most think that legislators should not rush through legislation.

A new Zogby International and the University of Texas Health Science Center poll found that 57 percent of respondents agrees with the assertion that legislators should start from scratch. When presented with a choice of approach:

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Nearly 44 percent says Congress should start over.
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Just over 25 percent say Congress should pass some legislation and fix it later.
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Only about 18 percent believe that the House must pass the Senate bill along with other legislation.

Another poll published by the Franklin & Marshall College believes that, although approximately 75 percent of Americans want health care reform, most respondents (four out of five) are satisfied with their current health care. Only one in five said that the current system does not meet your personal needs. In addition, the latest survey from the University of Quinnipiac released last week that Americans still disapprove voters (54-35 percent) of the attention of President Obama's health reform plan, but say (52-44 percent) want Congress and the President to continue his efforts to reform the system.

In addition, the New York Times / CBS released this sample months only 13 percent of Americans think health reform is the most important issue facing the nation. Rather, the employment and the economy led their list of priorities. The study also found that 56 percent preferred "smaller government, offering fewer services."

Looking the future

The House and Senate lawmakers return to Washington on Monday as Republicans and Democrats thrash out their strategy for on Thursday, the Health Summit.

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