Budgetary Estimates on Reform Bill Puts Baucus in Driver’s Seat

[This article posted on October 8, 2009. It is posted within the following categories: Healthcare Policy & The Media, Politics & The Law, via Michael Douglas, MD, MBA.]

By now it’s old news, but it’s news that has Dems excited. The cost estimates coming out of the Congressional Budget Office paint a picture of savings from what has now been termed the Baucus bill. The CBO reports that the latest version of the Senate Finance Committee proposal would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost of $829 billion.

President Obama probably feels some vindication, as future costs on alternatives to the current healthcare marketplace will provide patient choice without adding to the federal deficit. He seems to have added the support of the fiscally conservative (Blue Dogs, by extension) to his support column based upon this news. A vote by the Finance Committee next week is now almost certain.

Aside from the expcted bipartisan support on the issue of pre-existing conditions, budgetary caveats included in the bill and are sure to rile the Republicans involve the use of federal subsidies to pay for the inclusion of, for example, the use of healthcare co-ops in the marketplace. Also, beginning in 2013, Americans would be required to get health insurance, through an employer or a government program or by buying it themselves. Failure to obey the requirement would result in penalties of up to $750 per family.

Now that the heavy lifting has been done on this important healthcare reform bill in the Senate, the fun part will be in learning which supporters the bill will woo (or shun). | LINK