Health Care For America Now

NEWS

Anthem Blue Cross plans to go ahead with rate hikes in California - LA Times

Executives at the health insurer and its parent firm, WellPoint, defend increases of as much as 39% in a hearing before an Assembly panel. The changes are slated to go into effect May 1.

Senate Dems warm to reconciliation - Politico

An idea that seemed toxic only weeks ago — using a parliamentary tactic to ram health reform through the Senate — is gaining acceptance among moderate Democrats who have resisted the strategy but now say GOP opposition may force their hands.

Health Care No Stranger To Reconciliation Process - NPR

To reconcile or not to reconcile — when it comes to a health overhaul bill, that seems to be the biggest argument of the moment.

Republicans plan to stress private-sector alternatives to the president's plan - Washington Post

Republicans are preparing to use Thursday's White House health-care summit to sell their own ideas for using the private marketplace to expand coverage and reduce costs, but they remain wary of fumbling away what they believe is an advantage on the issue heading into this year's critical midterm elections.

Democrats on track to revive healthcare overhaul - LA Times

Party lawmakers, energized by President Obama's blueprint and summit plans, are getting behind the strategy of passing the Senate's bill and using budget reconciliation to prevent a GOP filibuster.

Obama backs bill to boost competition among health insurers - CSM

The Obama administration said Tuesday it supports House legislation to remove the antitrust exemption for health insurers that's been in place since 1945. More competition is the goal, though not all agree that would be the outcome.

OPINION

Bust the Health Care Trusts - Robert Reich

MY health insurer here in California is Anthem Blue Cross. So far, my group policy hasn’t been affected by Anthem’s planned rate increase of as much as 39 percent for its customers with individual policies — but the trend worries me, as it should everyone. Rates are soaring all over the country. Insurers have been seeking to raise premiums 24 percent in Connecticut, 23 percent in Maine, 20 percent in Oregon and a wallet-popping 56 percent in Michigan. How can insurers raise prices as much as they want without fear of losing customers?

Conservatives Seize On Rate Review To Further Paranoid ‘Government Takeover’ Meme - Think Progress

President Obama’s health care bill doesn’t contain many new proposals, but a provision that would allow the federal government to review and deny excessive, unreasonable or discriminatory health insurance premium increases is stirring up some controversy. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) proposed the amendment — which would limit insurers’ ability to exploit the time between passage of the bill and 2014, when reforms are fully in place — but it was not included in the final Senate bill “because of the objections” of an unnamed Democratic senator.

What the Republicans Don't Tell You - Jon Cohn

Who says the Republicans don’t have a health care plan? Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor reminded viewers that he and his colleagues introduced a proposal in July. Even better, he said, it would bring down insurance premiums.