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White House: Opponents misrepresent end-of-life issue in health reform debate

The White House says opponents of the President's health care reform effort are misrepresenting parts of the House and Senate legislation including a provision on end-of-life care. Critics say they fear health care reform could lead to excessive government intervention in end-of-life issues.

30 Jul 2009

Health overhaul ads intensify emotional messages

"The healthcare overhaul fight in Washington is bursting into America's living rooms, and interests from many bands on the political spectrum are trying to transform an often wonky debate over 1,000-page bills into an emotional pitch that can be captured in 30 seconds," The Boston Globe reports.

30 Jul 2009

Polls find public support for health overhaul losing steam

Over the past five weeks, support has declined "particularly among those who already have insurance, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found, amid prolonged debate over costs and quality of care," The Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Jul 2009

"Free-rider" penalty for employers draws ire from advocates, yawns from business

A "free-rider" penalty being considered by members of the Senate Finance Committee isn't getting a free ride from advocates for low-wage workers and labor unions.

30 Jul 2009

Jubilant Democrats move ahead, but still face many obstacles on reform

After weeks of painstaking talks, Democrats celebrated breakthroughs on health care overhaul on both sides of the Capitol. Yet many lawmakers and health care experts said that yesterday's events marked only one step on the very bumpy road to a final deal that President Barack Obama might sign into law.

30 Jul 2009

Energy and commerce Blue Dogs make deal with House leaders, Liberal members rebel

Roll Call: "House leaders who have struggled for weeks to bring fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats on board announced a deal paving the way to get the bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee, but not to the floor, before the August break. But the agreement ran into a firestorm of resistance from liberal Members, forcing Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) to postpone plans for a markup Wednesday afternoon.

30 Jul 2009

Myths of the public health plan

It's a critical week in Congress on the health care reform front, and members are ramping up the rhetoric for one of the sticking points -- a government-run health insurance plan that would "compete" with private insurers.

30 Jul 2009

Senate Committee's reform bill could cover 95 percent of uninsured

"Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Wednesday that a preliminary Congressional Budget Office score of his panel's draft health care overhaul package would cost under $900 billion over the next decade and provide health coverage to 95 percent of uninsured Americans," according to Kaiser Health News.

30 Jul 2009

Democrats: During August recess, Obama has 'major responsibility' to promote health overhaul

As Congress prepares to leave Washington for the August recess, Democrats are worried the vacation will "kill momentum on health care reform," Politico reports.

30 Jul 2009

Baucus: New CBO score 'good news'

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Wednesday that a preliminary Congressional Budget Office score of his panel's draft health care overhaul package would cost under $900 billion over the next decade and provide health coverage to 95 percent of uninsured Americans.

30 Jul 2009

Obama defends reform to seniors worried about Medicare cuts

On Tuesday, President Obama pitched Democrats' health reform plans to senior citizens and assured them that Medicare benefits would not be cut to pay for covering the uninsured, the New York Times reports. Meanwhile, members of Congress said they were "deluged" with constituent calls expressing concern over the future of their Medicare coverage.

30 Jul 2009

Finance Committee negotiators near accord on bill

The Washington Post: "Three Democrats and three Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee are expected to wrap up their arduous multi-week talks in the coming days, and Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said he expects a panel vote before the Senate recess, which will begin Aug. 7.

30 Jul 2009

No Blue Dog deal in House as compromise proves elusive

House leaders and the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats group could not agree on a compromise late Tuesday after more than six hours of discussion, complicating efforts to have legislation on the House floor before the August recess.

30 Jul 2009

Centrists steer talks away from public plan

"Senate Democrats debating how to overhaul America's healthcare system are moving toward a showdown over whether to create a government-run insurance program or set up a system of cooperatives instead," the Los Angeles Times reports.

30 Jul 2009

Health benefits tax gains support in Congress, opponents in business

"You can think of Congress's efforts to pay for health reform as being a little bit like a battle to slay a many-headed Hydra," writes the New York Times' economic columnist, David Leonhardt.

30 Jul 2009

Long-term care proposal draws opposition

The insurance industry opposes a long-term care proposal called the CLASS Act, currently included in two major health care reform measures.

30 Jul 2009

IMPROVE Bill seeks to fight Medicare fraud

Minnesota Public Radio reports: "Sen. Amy Klobuchar, [D-Minn.] says she hopes to include legislation to prevent Medicare fraud in the health reform bill being debated in Washington.

30 Jul 2009

Finance committee may omit public plan, employer mandate

The Associated Press is quoting sources saying that "After weeks of secretive talks, a bipartisan group in the Senate edged closer Monday to a health care compromise that omits a requirement for businesses to offer coverage to their workers and lacks a government insurance option that President Barack Obama favors, according to numerous officials.

28 Jul 2009

AMA backs health reform plan, but not all doctors are on board

Even as Democratic leaders in Congress and President Obama tout the American Medical Association's support for the House health care overhaul proposal, eleven other medical societies are vocally rejecting the plan, American Medical News reports.

28 Jul 2009

Reform could hinge on the insured, who support reform but fear change

"Although polls have consistently shown that just over half of Americans think the health-care system is in need of reform, a substantial majority say they are satisfied with their own insurance and care," the Washington Post reports.

28 Jul 2009