Health Care For America Now

Last week, the case was made that Americans deserve a debate and a vote on health care:

Reasonable people can differ on the question of whether the health reform bill in the Senate is worth passing. Certainly, I'd strenuously disagree with people who believe health reform won't solve our country's health care crisis, or that the status-quo is worth preserving. However, it's hard to put together a reasonable argument that the Senate shouldn't at the very least talk about health care reform, or allow it to come up for a simple vote.

And indeed, America agrees. Health Care for America Now has released a poll showing that voters in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Nebraska overwhelmingly agree that the Senate should debate and have a fair, majority vote on health care.

Here's the relevant questions, via TPMDC:

"In the Senate, before a bill can be voted on, there must be a vote to allow it to be debated," reads the first survey question. "Regardless of whether you support or oppose the health insurance reform plan itself, do you believe that it should be debated on the floor of the Senate?"

In all states, voters overwhelmingly said the Senate health care reform bill should be debated on the floor. Nebraska: 88-9, Louisiana: 82-9, Arkansas: 84-11.

"Once a bill has been debated in the Senate, Senators must then vote on whether to allow the bill itself to be voted on," HCAN asks. "Regardless of whether you support or oppose the health insurance reform plan, do you believe that Senators should allow it to be voted on."

The results are similarly striking. Nebraska: 80-14: Louisiana: 77-14, Arkansas: 77-14.

The American people are looking forward to the opening of debate on the Senate health care bill tomorrow evening. There is no excuse not to give them what they clearly want: A debate and a vote on historic health reform.

NEWS

Health Care Vote Set For Saturday Night - Associated Press

The Senate has a test vote on a health care reform bill scheduled for Saturday night.

Reid, as Legislative Tactician, Takes Ownership of Health Care Overhaul - New York Times

Now it is Senator Harry Reid’s health care bill.

A Health-Care Pep Talk for Senate Dems - Time

With health reform's first test vote on the Senate floor less than 72 hours away, a platoon of top strategists — including pollsters Mark Mellman and Geoff Garin, incoming White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer and deputy White House chief of staff Jim Messina — met with Democratic Senators Thursday afternoon to impress upon those who might be wavering that everyone's political fate is now joined with the success or failure of President Obama's top domestic priority.

CBPP: Despite Insufficient Subsidies, Senate Health Care Bill Enormous Step Forward - TPM

The left-of-center Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, which was critical of a number of provisions in the Senate Finance Committee's health care proposal, has much, much kinder words for the full Senate bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled this week.

Insurance Industry Criticizes Senate Bill - New York Times

The insurance industry lobby is panning the Senate legislation.The lobbying group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement on Thursday that the bill would increase costs for individuals, families and employers; reduce benefits for older Americans; and threaten employer coverage.

Sen. Lieberman Lies, Says "Public Option" Wasn't Part Of Presidential Campaign - Media Matters

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told Politico that no one mentioned a public option during the 2008 presidential campaign.  Unfortunately for him, historical fact directly contradicts his new conservative talking point.

Last night, the Senate unveiled their health care bill. You can read the full bill here [pdf], or the summery documents here.

On the whole, the Senate bill looks very much like the House health care bill. It ends insurance company abuses like denying care for those with pre-existing conditions and it sets benefit standards to make sure the coverage people receive - both on their own and through their employer - actually covers the care they need. It gives people the choice of a public health insurance option like the one in the HELP bill, though states would be able to opt-out of the public option if they passed a law saying so. And it sets up a health insurance "Exchange" that would provide tax credits (subsidies) to make health care affordable, as well as helping business afford health care for their employees.

On the budgetary front, the Senate bill would cost $849 billion over 10 years, and reduce the deficit by $127 billion over the same period. You can read the CBO's projections on the bill here [pdf].

Of course, there are major differences. Igor Volsky at the Wonk Room has a handy comparison chart:

	Senate Bill ($849 billion/10 years)	House Bill ($894 billion/10 years)
Individual Mandate	Yes, penalty of $750 by 2016 for those don’t purchase coverage. ($95 penalty in first year)	Yes, penalty of 2.5% of income for those who remain uninsured
Employer Mandate	Free rider provision. Employers would have to pay whichever is lower: $3,000 per every employee who receives a subsidy in the Exchange, or $750 for every employee (not just the subsidized worker).	Yes, employers who don’t’ offer coverage would pay a fee equal to 8% of their payroll
Medicaid Expansion	Up to 133% FPL. 100% federal funding for the first 3 years, then revert to Senate Finance language.	Up to 150% FPL
Subsidies	Between 133 – 400% FPL on sliding scale; spend 2%-9.8% of income on premiums	Between 133 – 400% FPL on sliding scale; spend 2%-12% of income on premiums
Public Option	National public plan, states can opt-out by 2014. Co-ops are also available.	Yes, HHS secretary negotiates rates
Financing	Excise tax on policies above $8,500 (individuals) and $23,000 (families), increases the payroll tax by .5% (increases to 1.95%) on individuals who earn more than $200,000 and families earning more than $250,000 a year, tax on insurers, pharmaceuticals, and medicare devices; Medicare savings	5.4% surtax on individuals earning > $500,000, couples earning more than $1 million; Medicare savings

The New York Times also has a great comparison.

Overall, the fact that Majority Leader Harry Reid did the right thing and listened to the American people by including things like a public health insurance option and a tax credit level that goes a long way towards making health care affordable means that this bill deserves a debate and a fair, majority up-or-down vote.

Republicans and the insurance companies will try to block this bill any way they can, even going so far as to recommend the Senate not even talk about this bill, let alone vote on it. These tactics only preserve the status quo. The American people deserve health care reform - reform that delivers affordable coverage, a choice of a public health insurance option, and fair financing - and this bill deserves a fair vote by the full Senate so it can meet the House bill in conference.

NEWS

Senate unveils health-care bill - Washington Post

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid presented an $848 billion health-care overhaul package on Wednesday that would extend coverage to 31 million Americans and reform insurance practices while adding an array of tax increases, including a rise in payroll taxes for high earners.

Senate girds for historic debate on health bill - Associated Press

After months of maneuvering, the Senate stands at the brink of a historic battle over health care with President Barack Obama and his allies on one side and Republicans, outnumbered but unflinching, on the other.

Reid plan ups pressure on moderates - Politico

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled his $848 billion health reform bill Wednesday to broad support from fellow Democrats — and the move quickly turned up the pressure on the last few wavering moderates to support the plan, which includes a sizable chunk of deficit cutting.

Reid rolling out big guns to push healthcare bill to 60 needed votes - The Hill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has recruited an all-star team of former senators — Vice President Joe Biden, Tom Daschle and Ken Salazar — to push healthcare reform over the finish line.

Nelson: I'm Comfortable Being Lone Democrat To Derail Reform - Sam Stein

Ben Nelson, a key conservative Senate Democrats, said on Wednesday that he was pleased with the changes party leadership had made to health care legislation, specifically on matters of deficit reduction. But the Nebraska senator, whose vote has been elusive to pin down so far, said he would be comfortable being the lone Democrat to prevent the bill from overcoming a Republican filibuster.

Rising Prices of Drugs Lead to Call for Inquiry - New York Times

Democrats in Congress asked for two separate investigations of drug industry pricing Wednesday as they continue working on legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system.

We've put together a video of the event out in Chicago, where small business owners from around the country tried to confront Karen Ignagni about her industry's job-killing ways. Ignagni, as usual, didn't show up to look these people in the eye. In her absence, they told their stories about how health care cost them jobs, and how reform would bring them back.

Watch:

Majority Leader Harry Reid seems to be moving away from taxing so-called "Cadillac" health care benefits as a means to pay for health reform, a tax that would eventually hit 40% of health care plans in the country. This is good news. As I've argued before:

Why tax the very people health care reform is supposed to help to pay for it?

The middle class doesn't need another tax hike. Health reform should indeed be paid for, but it should be paid for by those in society who can most afford it.

And Reid may be thinking about doing just that, financing reform the way the House did, with a surtax on the richest members in society.

The case for the surtax is clear: It will help millions, and it would only affect the very richest among us. The bill passed by the House would tax only individuals earning more than half a million dollars per year, 0.3% of the taxpaying population, or 422,510 households in America. In return, by 2013, 29,210,600 more uninsured people would gain coverage, rising to 36 million by 2019.

NEWS

Reid To Release Details Of Overhaul Plan To Caucus Today - CongressDaily

Senate Majority Leader Reid will share the details of his long-awaited healthcare overhaul bill with his Democratic Caucus today, according to his spokesman, Jim Manley.

Reid 'optimistic' about getting 60 votes on health bill - Washington Post

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid scrambled Tuesday to lock down votes behind a health-care bill that he may present as early as Wednesday.

3 Democrats Could Block Health Bill in Senate - New York Times

Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, says he is not sure he is ready to help a Democratic health care proposal clear even the most preliminary hurdle: gaining the 60 votes his party’s leaders need to open debate on the measure later this week.

Small Firms Scrapping, Scaling Back Health Plans - Associated Press

Faced with high health insurance costs, a North Carolina brokerage passed the buck on to its employees, a Texas public relations firm switched from group insurance to stipends, and a Missouri travel agency let its workers walk away instead paying for insurance.

How to pass a health bill fast - Politico

“Ping-pong” might be too difficult. Reconciliation, too partisan.

Today in Chicago, a message was delivered: Insurance company greed kills jobs, and we're not going to take it anymore.

Eight small business owners from around the country met at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Chicago this afternoon, where the insurance industry was holding their national conference. They were there because they had sent a letter to Karen Ignagni, the insurance companies' top lobbyist, requesting a meeting:

Our businesses are facing dire choices- between being able to reinvest profits into the future of our businesses and meeting the ever-growing costs of health care coverage; between denying our employees coverage for needed medical services and having to cut their jobs entirely.

…

Ms. Ignagni, we are not simply opportunities for profit. We are people trying to provide for our families, contribute to our local economies, and make ends meet in this recession, who believe you should look us in the eye, hear our stories, and understand what you are lobbying against.

We plan to be at the Renaissance Hotel at noon on Tuesday and hope to see you there. Please understand that we are not interested in discussing these issues with a representative or spokesperson. With our livelihoods on the line, we feel the least you could do is participate in this meeting personally.

Ignagni didn't show up today.

She didn't have the courage to look these small business owners in the eye and hear their stories. People like Mecheall Williams from Louisiana, can't afford to stay afloat and give his employees insurance, and who worked to woo back one of his best employees even though he couldn't offer her health insurance, and a few weeks after she agreed to work for him again, got sick and had to go to the drive an hour to the hospital because she wasn't covered. Or Rick Poore from Nebraska, who said his skyrocketing health care costs are preventing him from purchasing another printing press for his t-shirt business, or giving his employees a raise they deserve. Or Alton Johnson from Arkansas, who may have to drop insurance coverage for his employees because his premiums keep rising.

Outside the Renaissance Hotel, five hundred people marched in solidarity with the small business owners inside - labor, community organizations, MoveOn.org local councils, doctors and medical students, and other health care supporters, all pulled together by Citizen Action of Illinois.

The small business owners, led by Wendell Potter, left the hotel and joined us outside when it was clear Ignagni wasn't going to show up. There, we heard the truth from a man who used to attend conferences like the one in Chicago today, but as a member of the insurance industry.

As Wendell has told the world over and over, the insurance companies are the biggest enemy of reform we have. They will do anything to keep health care in Wall Street's hands, and protect their obscene profits and bonuses. If that means killing jobs and their fellow Americans to do it, so be it.

Karen Ignagni couldn't even meet with the entrepreneurs she's putting out of business. But no matter. The insurance industry can't stop health reform from happening, especially the kind they fear the most - reform with a public health insurance option to give us a choice and to finally end their profiteering ways.

With reform, we'll be on our way to getting our economy and our lives back on track.

As we speak, Health Care for America Now, our partners across the country, and six small business owners are taking on the insurance companies for killing jobs, denying care, and using our premiums to kill health care reform.

Will Karen Ignagni, the insurance companies' top lobbyist, show up and have the courage to look these small business owners in the eye?

I'll be uploading photos from the event as it happens. Check them out below:

And I'll be writing up the results as soon as the event is concluded. Stay tuned!

NEWS

Liberals Urge Reid to Keep Public Option - NYTimes

The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, met on Monday night with a group of liberal Senate Democrats who urged him not to back down from his decision to put a government-run insurance plan, or public option, in the major health care legislation that he is working to complete.

AP POLL: Tax the Rich to Pay for Health Bill - NYTimes

When it comes to paying for a health care overhaul, Americans see just one way to go: Tax the rich.

A centrist in health-care debate, Lincoln hears it from all sides – Washington Post

Hundreds of thousands of Lincoln's constituents are low-income and lack insurance, the very kind of voters expected to benefit under the Senate bill. Lincoln, a second-term senator, helped write some of the legislation's key provisions as a member of the Finance Committee, and her sometimes uncomfortable role near the center of the debate could cost her in culturally conservative Arkansas. Despite the potential benefits for many in her state, polls show her support weakening, and constituents are expressing doubts about the proposed overhaul.

Business foes of health care revamp ramp up effort – AP

Business foes of health care overhaul legislation are outspending supporters at a rate of 2-to-1 for TV ads as they grow increasingly nervous over a final bill.

Led by the giant U.S. Chamber of Commerce, opponents of the Democratic health care drive have spent $24 million on TV commercials over the past month to $12 million spent by labor unions and other backers. That's an abrupt reversal from the vast spending advantage supporters enjoyed most of this year, according to Evan Tracey, president of Campaign Media Analysis Group, which tracks political ads.

Obama Official and Goldman Assess Insurers - NYTimes

On the White House’s official blog, Nancy-Ann DeParle, the director of the Office of Health Reform, rebuts recent claims by the insurance industry that the proposed health care overhaul would actually increase the cost of premiums.

Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die - AP

Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study.

Senate Democrats Wait For CBO Score, Work To Hold Onto Votes - Kaiser Health News

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is planning a "key test vote by the end of the week" on a health reform bill, according to Senate aides, Politico reports. "The vote on a motion to proceed to the bill could come as early as Friday, teeing up the amendment process to begin after the Thanksgiving break." Reid may keep the Senate in session over the weekend.

OPINION

One nation, insured - LA Times

Some states, such as Arizona, are considering ways to opt out of a national plan. That's foolish.

Health reform's human stories - Rich Stockwell, Senior producer, 'Countdown'

It happened as I watched a 50-something woman walk out, after spending several hours being attended to by volunteer doctors. "She's decided against treatment. A reasonable decision under the circumstances," the doctor tells us as she heads for the next patient. The president of the board of the National Association of Free Health Clinics tells me why: "It's stage four breast cancer, her body is filled with tumors." I don't know when that woman last saw a doctor. But I do know that if she had health insurance, the odds she would have seen a doctor long ago are much higher, and her chances for an earlier diagnosis and treatment would have been far greater.