First Edition: March 2, 2010

Today's headlines highlight the latest on the White House's health reform strategy and a new lawsuit against California's largest for-profit health insurer.

Parity Law Expands Mental Health Access This Kaiser Health News story, produced in collaboration with The Washington Post, reports on the impact of a law that went into effect Jan. 1. "Denise Camp was resigned to the double standard that had long applied to her medical bills, forcing her to skimp on other expenses so she could pay for mental health treatment" (Kaiser Health News).

Reconciliation Won't Be Smooth Ride For Health Bill Democrats face a bumpy road ahead as they prepare an attempt to pass a version of health care overhaul legislation by using a Senate procedure that circumvents a GOP filibuster. So who better to explain how the coming weeks may unfold on the Hill than the man who helped write the road rules (NPR)?

Obama To Highlight Cost In New Health Bill Push President Obama this week will begin a climactic push to rally restive Congressional Democrats to pass major health care legislation by hammering the argument that the costs of failure will be higher insurance premiums and lost coverage for individuals and businesses (The New York Times).

Battle Brews Over Tactic To Win Passage Of Health Bill The White House said Monday the leading tactic to win passage of the health-care bill was nothing extraordinary, rehearsing a key argument in the final public-relations battle over the bill (The Wall Street Journal).

Obama Looks To Undecided Dems For Health Backing A small number of House Democrats who opposed health overhaul legislation on the first go-round may be President Barack Obama's most important constituency when he unveils a revised proposal on Wednesday (The Associated Press).

White House Hints Obama Will Offer Defense Of Reconciliation Strategy President Barack Obama this week will defend a controversial legislative maneuver to pass healthcare reform, the White House hinted Monday (The Hill).

To Pass Healthcare Reform, Democrats May Go It Alone Democrats have paused and considered their options. Now party leaders may have settled on a healthcare-reform strategy: It appears they're going to shoulder up one more time and try to muscle through legislation with only Democratic votes (The Christian Science Monitor).

Pelosi's Challenge: Hold The Line The world has changed a lot since the House passed its health care bill last fall. Back then, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi passed the bill with just two votes to spare. If she took the same vote today, she'd have the bare minimum of votes she would need, after the death of Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, three House resignations and the defection of the only Republican to vote yes (Politico).

One-Man Filibuster Draws Fire The federal government Monday began to furlough workers, while hundreds of thousands of jobless Americans nationwide braced for an end of their unemployment checks and health insurance benefits -- the result of a one-man roadblock for a Senate spending bill (Los Angeles Times).

Stalemate Holding Up Jobless Benefits Hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Americans will begin losing unemployment and health benefits this week as a one-man filibuster in the Senate continued to block a measure to extend those and other programs for one month (USA Today).

Consumer Group Sues Anthem Blue Cross Over Policy Changes A consumer group sued Anthem Blue Cross on Monday, accusing California's largest for-profit health insurer of violating state law by closing certain policies to new members while illegally offering remaining customers alternative plans with fewer benefits at higher rates (Los Angeles Times).

Consumer Group Sues Insurer Over Policy Changes Mary Feller's family of three spends nearly $25,000 a year on health insurance premiums, which is more than they pay on their home's mortgage in California's Marin County (The Associated Press).

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