August 1 is officially here; and, as expected, Obama’s original mandate for a House and Senate vote on reform legislation will not occur today. But what is unexpected is the apparent consensus by the members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee on a couple of key provisions that apparently all but five Democrats (those who voted with the Republicans) agreed upon: reform of the insurance market and expansion of subsidies to help the poor access care.[] That apparently was the hard part.
The harder part will occur in about five weeks, when three House committees start to hammer out a consensus bill to bring to the floor for a vote. The Senate, on the other hand, appears to be dragging its heels on the road to an overarching version of the bill. The House action represents a hollow victory of sorts for Obama, who can take consolation that a bill on health reform will be passed — avoiding any repeat of Hillarycare some 15 years earlier.
Among the possible areas for consensus building over the next six weeks: Medicare reimbursements[] based upon value, not quantity; strong support for ironclad employer-sponsored coverage schemes[]; and the elimination of copays for preventive care. | LINK
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