Late on Sunday night (later than I wanted to stay up, anyway) the House passed both the Senate healthcare reform legislation and the House bundle of fixes. The entire package is on its way to Obama’s desk for signature. So what now? Brace yourself …
Here’s the link to the full text of the reconciliation bill, hot off the presses. Basically, the House will vote on these bundled fixes to the Senate bill, deeming that the Senate bill itself has already passed. Too bad employment raises don’t work the same way, eh?
Want more information? Head to the House site for a section-by-section look, Committee reports etc. See The Wonk Room’s comparison of this bill with the previous Senate and House bills. Check Kaiser Health News’ report on the 9 major changes in the reconciliation bill versus prior bills.
First an Arizona lawmaker proposed to yank Medicaid and other social services from poverty-stricken folks caught enjoying an adult beverage, buying any junk food, or driving a car or watching a TV costing more than a bargain-basement amount. Now there’s a new proposal to yank free Medicaid benefits from the poorest Arizonans, period. Arizona has more than earned its latest THR Healthcare Hall of Shame Award.
Obama discussing Consumer-Directed Health Plans with Republican John Barrasso, a physician:
Obama: “Would you be satisfied if every member of Congress just had catastrophic care–you think we’d be better health care purchasers? I mean, is that a change you think we should make?”
Barrasso: “I think actually we would. We’d really focus on it. We’d have more, as you say, skin in the game. And especially if they had a savings account–a health savings account–they could put their money into that, and they’d be spending the money out of that.”
Obama: “Would you feel the same way if you were making $40,000? Or if that was your income. Because that’s the reality for a lot of folks.”
Barrasso: Speechless.
Watch it:
Health Affairs has a good halftime report from the Healthcare Summit, summarizing the jabs and parries between Democrats and Republicans on their healthcare ideas. Read it here. Too bad they left the best (and really only) question until last — it’s long past time to answer it and get out of the dead ends and diversions in the healthcare reform debate.
