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House passes historic health care reform legislation

House Democrats scored a historic victory in the century-long battle to reform the nation's health-care system late Sunday night. ... House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues erupted in cheers and hugs as the votes were counted, while Republicans who had fought the Democratic efforts on health-care reform for more than a year appeared despondent.

22 Mar 2010

CBO numbers buoy Democrats eyeing Sunday health reform vote

Democrats unveiled a health overhaul reconciliation bill the Congressional Budget Office says will cost $940 billion but also cut the deficit by $138 billion over the next 10 years.

20 Mar 2010

House Democrats continue push for weekend House vote on health reform measure

House Democratic leaders continued efforts to pick-up support for health reform in the House while also tinkering around the edges of the overhaul legislative package -- all in anticipation of a Sunday vote in the House.

19 Mar 2010

Democrats take aim at deficit targets, continue to wait for CBO numbers on health overhaul

"With Congress just days away from an expected vote, Democrats still hadn't settled on final language of the bill and until they do the Congressional Budget Office can't release an estimate for how much the complete package would cost." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) said yesterday that "he hoped Democratic leaders would be able to lock down final details soon.

18 Mar 2010

Democrats continue tallying health bill support; Republicans criticize 'deem and pass' rule

Politico: "House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that Democrats don't yet have the votes to pass a bill this week and that they're still talking with every single member of the caucus. He also told reporters during his half-hour weekly news conference that he hopes to have language for a reconciliation bill finalized later in the day and defended the possible use of the rules to deem the Senate bill passed without forcing members to actually take the uncomfortable vote to support it."

17 Mar 2010

Democrats look for consensus on final health overhaul package

Democrats Thursday looked for a way forward on a health reform bill as colleagues in the House worried about abortion, other provisions and Senate passage of a reconciliation measure.

12 Mar 2010

Sebelius attacks health insurers, they fight back

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "pleaded with insurance companies on Wednesday to scrap their campaign against President Obama's health care bill and to work with the White House to pass it," The New York Times reports.

12 Mar 2010

Obama makes impassioned argument for health reform, tough measures to combat health fraud

A shirt-sleeved President Barack Obama took his closing arguments for health care reform to the St. Louis area Wednesday.

12 Mar 2010

Obama makers final public push for health reform as Democrats consider timeline

President Obama is delivering his "closing argument" for health care reform in St. Louis today as Democratic leaders strategize on moving the bill through the House and Senate.

11 Mar 2010

Health overhaul policy tidbits

NPR: For those who have forgotten what the Senate's bill would actually do as the debate has turned to politics and procedure, "a short refresher" may come in handy. The legislation's main concepts include the requirement that individuals buy health insurance, a plan that would help eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions and spread risk more widely, and subsidies to help people buy coverage to meet the new requirement (Rovner, 3/9).

9 Mar 2010

Obama seeks to mollify Democrats on health overhaul plan, costs

President Barack Obama intensified his push for health care reform by lobbying small groups of Democratic lawmakers Thursday.

5 Mar 2010

Obama pushes reconciliation, action on health care overhaul

In his White House speech Wednesday afternoon, President Barack Obama outlined his updated health overhaul plan and endorsed a legislative maneuver meant to move the congressional efforts on health care reform forward.

4 Mar 2010

Obama to include GOP ideas in health proposal today

With President Barack Obama's release today of his latest health reform plan, he hopes to propel the dialogue forward as he also signals willingness to incorporate GOP ideas into his proposal.

4 Mar 2010

Some Democrats cautious as leaders line up health votes - GOP slams Dem approach

In addition to GOP resistance, the Democratic party faces internal opposition to some aspects of health reform legislation.

2 Mar 2010

Pelosi 'confident' on health overhaul vote through reconciliation process

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is "confident" she will be able to get the votes needed to pass health care reform, "even if it threatens the political careers of some members of her party," The New York Times reports.

2 Mar 2010

Republicans press campaign against reconciliation; Mccain seek to strip Medicare out of health bill

Republicans and Democrat hit the Sunday talk shows today to debate whether a complex congressional process called 'reconciliation' should be used to consider a major overhaul of the U.S. health care system. Reconciliation is normally used for 'taxing and spending and reducing deficits,' said Sen.

28 Feb 2010

House votes to extend COBRA benefits for a month, Bunning stalls Senate action

After the House passed a month-long extension of COBRA and other benefits for laid-off workers, the Senate Thursday did not follow suit, "jeopardizing unemployment benefits scheduled to expire over the weekend," The Associated Press reports.

26 Feb 2010

WellPoint executive defends premium increases at congressional hearing

In a congressional hearing Wednesday, an insurance company executive justified proposed premium increases and warned "that pending legislation" could make the problem of high medical costs worse. "The executive, Angela F. Braly, president of WellPoint, made the comments in testimony prepared for a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee," The New York Times reports.

25 Feb 2010

GOP, expecting little from summit, strategizes on policy alternatives; Democrats look for spark

GOP leaders Tuesday decided not to offer a "single comprehensive proposal" at Thursday's health summit and have voiced little hope regarding the meeting's outcome, but they are still planning to attend, The New York Times reports.

25 Feb 2010

Insurance execs defend rate hikes before Congress

Lawmakers said Anthem Blue Cross, the California insurer that proposed raising premium rates for some individual policyholders by as much as 39 percent, sought to boost profits at the expense of its insured, the Los Angeles Times reports. During a congressional hearing Wednesday, "Democrats said internal documents from [Anthem's parent firm] WellPoint Inc. showed that proposed rate increases of as much as 39% for California customers who buy individual policies would 'return California to a profit of 7%.'"

25 Feb 2010