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Democrats hail historic House health reform bill, turn focus to Senate

News outlets are still digesting the House of Representatives' passage of a landmark health care overhaul and also looking ahead to the Senate, where an effort to meld two health reform bills is stalled.

8 Nov 2009

House Republicans offer health overhaul plan

Their alternative health care bill "would reward states for reducing the number of uninsured, limit damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and allow small businesses to band together and buy insurance exempt from most state regulation," The New York Times reports.

4 Nov 2009

CBO: House health bill would lower some middle class premiums, raise costs for others

House Democrats say their health overhaul proposal will lead to health insurance premium savings for many consumers, though estimates of the overall measure's cost, as well as the taxes and fees required to pay for it, is a source of criticism and concern.

3 Nov 2009

Obama's health reform political maneuvers may prove successful

"After months of plodding work by five Congressional committees and weeks of back-room bargaining by Democratic leaders, President Obama's arms-length strategy on health care appears to be paying dividends, with the House and the Senate poised to take up legislation to insure nearly all Americans," The New York Times reports.

2 Nov 2009

House Democrats hail, grumble about health reform bill

News outlets detailed the House health care reform bill and reaction from members. The Congressional Budget Office estimated its net cost to be $894 billion over 10 years.

30 Oct 2009

Pelosi chooses compromise approach to public option in reform bill

A health care reform bill set to be unveiled this morning will include a government-run public option for health insurance that will negotiate rates with insurers, much like private insurers operate.

29 Oct 2009

Centrist Democrats are cool to Reid's plan for public option

With his announcement regarding support for the public option, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's plans to move health legislation to the Senate floor face big challenges.

28 Oct 2009

Reid's end game? Senate bill will have public option with 'opt out'

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced yesterday that he will include a public insurance plan in the final Senate health overhaul legislation.

27 Oct 2009

Pelosi pressing, cajoling Democrats to include public option in final health bill

News outlets covering Capitol Hill report that, with pressure from Democratic leaders, the public option now appears more likely to be in final health care reform legislation.

26 Oct 2009

Senate leaders close to including a version of public option in health bill

The New York Times: "In pushing to include a government-run health insurance plan in the health care bill, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is taking a calculated gamble that the 60 members of his caucus could support the plan if it included a way for states to opt out."

24 Oct 2009

Some Senate Democrats help republicans defeat $247 billion Medicare payment 'doctor fix'

"Democrats lost a big test vote on health care legislation on Wednesday as the Senate blocked action on a bill to increase Medicare payments to doctors at a cost of $247 billion over 10 years," the The New York Times reports. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, "needed 60 votes to proceed. He won only 47. And he could not blame Republicans.

23 Oct 2009

Budget hawks block Reid's push for 'doc fix'

Democrats backed away from an unfunded proposal to increase physician payments from Medicare in the face of opposition from Republicans and some fiscally conservative members of their own ranks, the New York Times reports.

22 Oct 2009

Some Medicare recipients will see jump in premium costs next year

"The basic Medicare premium will shoot up next year by 15 percent, to $110.50 a month, federal officials said Monday," The New York Times reports. "The increase means that monthly premiums would top $100 for the first time, a stark indication of the rise in medical costs that is driving the debate in Congress about a broad overhaul of the health care system."

21 Oct 2009

Medicare officials back away from hard line stance on insurers' warning letters

The New York Times reports: "The Obama administration on Friday backed away from an order that had prohibited insurance companies from warning Medicare recipients about the possible loss of benefits under pending legislation to overhaul the health care system." A political storm storm was triggered last month when they tried to stop such communications.

20 Oct 2009

Lawmakers struggle to balance interests as sweeping health legislation negotiations proceed

Lawmakers continue to try to shape health bills as they move closer to floor votes.

20 Oct 2009

Senate Democratic leaders say party will unite on health reform vote

Sens. Max Baucus and Harry Reid are predicting that a health care overhaul in the Senate will attract the votes of all Democrats in the Senate — and maybe even more than one Republican.

19 Oct 2009

Democratic lawmakers seek momentum, Republican votes as two versions of reform bills are combined

Democrats are seeking momentum and votes -- from both Democrats and Republicans -- as leaders work to combine the two versions of reform approved by Senate committees.

19 Oct 2009

Senate Finance Committee passes health bill, but with plenty of grumbling

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday became the fifth and final committee in Congress to pass a health care overhaul bill. The committee voted 14-9 in favor of the bill with Sen. Olympia Snowe, of Maine, joining all of the panel's Democrats to cast the sole Republican "yea" vote.

15 Oct 2009

House, Senate Democrats to face off over health taxes

The 'Cadillac tax' on employer-sponsored insurance will likely be the focal point of a "fierce clash" between Democrats in the House and Senate if it clears the Senate Finance Committee's vote today, the New York Times reports.

14 Oct 2009

Finance Democrats approve overhaul measure with boost from Snowe

The Senate Finance Committee approved its long-anticipated version of the health-care overhaul legislation in a 14-9 vote Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reports. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, joined the panels 13 Democrats to support the bill.

14 Oct 2009