Primers: What's really going on with health reform?

As Congress returns from its August recess for what promises to be a dramatic health care finale, a few papers offer refreshers on what's contained in the bills lawmakers and the president are preparing to debate, and how they will affect millions of citizens. Three news reports compare key proposals, and suggest key questions for reformers.

Los Angeles Times: The report offers issue-by-issue comparisons between House and Senate reform proposals including "Rising insurance costs," "Insuring the uninsured," "Protecting the insured," "Improving the quality of care," "Changes in Medicare," and the plans' total costs (9/8).

The Washington Post: In anticipation of President Obama's major address Wednesday, the Post reminds readers of some key questions that have circulated for months, but not yet been put to rest. For instance, the story asks, "If I don't have health insurance now, how will reform affect me?" Conversely, one might wonder, "If I currently have health insurance, how will reform affect me?" (Connolly and MacGillis, 9/8).

The (Wilmington) News Journal: "[W]ith all the rhetoric flying, it can be hard to figure out what the proposals really mean, especially for the 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance." The News Journal offers ten questions, along with reported answers, ranging from the differences between the proposals to how the reform effort will proceed from here (Bothum, 9/8).

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This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.