Health Care For America Now

NEWS

Buoyant Democrats Unveil Health Care Legislation - New York Times

House Democrats on Thursday unveiled their bill to remake the health care system and said they had the votes to pass it. But Republicans said gimmicks had been used to hide the measure’s long-term costs.

Protesters pose grim outlook on health care - Sparks Tribune

Despite another low turnout, a familiar core of local activists stubbornly rallied for government health insurance reform at Thursday's "Have a Heart, Save Lives" event. Some protesters wore scary Halloween costumes, accessories or makeup to illustrate what they believe could be the grim consequences of inaction on health care.

Reid Calls On Americans: "Contact Your Representatives Back Here In Washington And Push Hard" - Huffington Post

Harry Reid, in a new Web video posted Thursday, makes the case for a public health insurance option and appeals to voters across the country to contact Washington to "push hard" for its inclusion in the final bill.

House bill greatly expands health care coverage - San Francisco Chronicle

There was rock music instead of trumpets as Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow House Democrats used every flourish Thursday to frame their new $894 billion health care measure as historic legislation on par with the creation of Social Security in 1935 and Medicare in 1965.

Conrad: I Will Vote To Bring Health Care Bill To Debate, And My Colleagues Should Do Same - Greg Sargent

In another step forward for health care reform, a key moderate Dem Senator says he will vote to bring the bill with a public option and an opt-out to the floor — getting the bill past a key procedural vote — and suggested his colleagues should do the same.

Drug Makers Face Tougher Measures - Wall Street Journal

The House health-care bill presents more problems for drug makers than legislation in the Senate, but it gives the medical-device industry better breaks.

U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Recycles Old Ad For New Attack On Health Care Reform - Media Matters

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has revamped an old ad from the summer to continue its fight against progressive health care reform.  However, just like before, the ad falls flat on facts.

Opt-out divides Schumer and Emanuel - Politico

Chuck Schumer and Rahm Emanuel, the architects of the Democrats’ historic take-back of Congress in 2006, talk to each other nearly every day in abrupt, Morse code bursts stripped of hellos, goodbyes and thank-yous.

OPINION

The House Health Reform Bill - New York Times

The Senate should pay attention to the health care reform bill unveiled on Thursday by House Democratic leaders. The bill would greatly expand coverage of the uninsured while reducing budget deficits over the next decade and probably beyond. It includes a public option that is weaker than we would like, but it still deserves to be approved by the House.

The Defining Moment - Paul Krugman

O.K., folks, this is it. It’s the defining moment for health care reform.

House to PhRMA: No Deal - Jon Cohn

Among the other important distinctions between the new House bill and what the Senate Finance Committee produced is the treatment of the pharmaceutical industry.

Fears of the public option are overblown - Health Business Blog

Revival of the so-called public option in health reform legislation has big business in a big tizzy. I listened in on a Business Roundtable briefing yesterday where two talking points were hammered on repeatedly.

Health Care Saves Lives, Lack of Coverage Contributes to Death - Matt Yglesias

Among conservatives the view is that health care is so important that we don’t dare have the government give it to anyone because that might, through leaps of logic, lead to hypothetical future rationing. At the same time, even though health care’s important it’s rude to point out that America’s high uninsured rate kills people.

John Dingell: 'This is as good as can be done now' - Ezra Klein

There is no politician alive today who has worked as long, or as hard, on health-care reform as Rep. John Dingell Jr. Sometimes called the "Dean of the House," the 83-year-old Dingell occupies the seat his father once held. It was in that seat that his father introduced the first national health-care bill ever considered by the United States Congress. The bill failed, but Dingell has continued his father's work. I spoke to Dingell earlier today.