If you can’t think of anything else to be thankful for today, thank goodness you’re not Senator Max Baucus (D-MT).

The chair of the Senate Finance Committee is responsible for assembling the worst healthcare bill yet while taking nearly $4 Million from health and insurance interests (I’m sure those two things aren’t related…)

For example, the New York Times healthcare blog analyzed the financial impact of the Baucus bill on a family of 4 earning 300-400% of the poverty level (brace yourself, this isn’t pretty): Read more…

UPDATE: The 228-page draft bill was released 9/16/09. Download it here.

While you were kicking back this Labor Day weekend, the Senate Finance Committee’s “Gang of Six” leaked yet another healthcare reform document. For those unfamiliar with them, they make up the bipartisan committee that took it upon themselves to represent the rest of the US in healthcare reform.

And the long-awaited Framework For Comprehensive Healthcare Reform document says….drumroll please…nothing new. There is no public option, and there are some weak healthcare insurer/pharma/lab fees thrown in. THAT’S IT.

You can read it here. Or see the bullet point summary below for your Tuesday water cooler conversations. Then see the No-Hype Healthcare Reform Primer to see how the proposed framework stacks up against HR 3200 and the Senate HELP Committee healthcare reform bills.

Rehashed Special Interest Framework

Apparently Committee Chairman Max Baucus is making good on all his debts to the healthcare special interests that bankroll him (see NPR’s story, “Who Has Access To Max Baucus“). Because these are the supposedly brilliant ideas included in the 18 page draft framework: Read more…