Drum Roll ... House Health Care Bill To Be Unveiled Tomorrow

[ej510]

October 28, 2009 2:20 PM

Speaker Nancy Pelosi couldn't get the votes for the "robust" public option she prefers, but she is ready to roll out a health care bill.

Karl_2 ABC News’ Jonathan Karl has the story:

After weeks of intense, closed-door negotiations with House Democrats, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi plans to unveil her health care bill tomorrow.

The roll-out is tentatively scheduled for 10:30 am on the West Front of the Capitol building. This is the bill the House will debate and vote on – probably next week.

According to sources familiar with Pelosi’s plans, here are some key elements of her bill:

- It includes a public option, but it will not be the Medicare-like public option she wanted. The government-run insurance company created by her bill would negotiate payment rates with health care providers just like private insurance companies. Pelosi simply could not get the votes to pass the “robust” version she prefers.

- The total cost is about $900 billion. The Congressional Budget Office is still crunching the numbers, a final number is expected tonight.

- The bill would cover an additional 35 to 36 million people by 2019; this is more than the Senate bill, which would cover an estimated 29 million additional people.

- There’s an individual mandate requiring all Americans to have health insurance, although the penalties for non-compliance are lower than the Senate’s (which imposes a maximum fine of $1500 for families who forgo insurance).

- There’s an employer mandate. Companies who don’t offer health insurance will be slapped with an 8 percent fine (small businesses are exempt).

- The bill will be paid for, in part, with a 5.4 percent surtax imposed on those with incomes over $500,000 for individuals, $1 million for families.

- There’s a long list of insurance reforms: banning denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions, mandating wellness and prevention coverage, capping out of pocket expenses and prohibiting caps on benefits.

Does she have the votes to pass it? “We sure hope so,” says a senior Democratic aide.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/10/drum-roll-house-health-care-bill-to-be-unveiled-tomorrow-.html

[ej510]

1. This is a crap bill if she goes with this pile of maneur the democrats deserve

to lose control of the house and the senate.

[saracat]

2. At least it doesn't appear to have the "Opt out' but it isn't good.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. No actual Public Option, that is actually optional to the public

And mandates to make you buy products. Of course.

[dflprincess]

5. And what are the out of pocket caps?

HR3200 allows an annual out of pocket expense of $5,000 for a single person, plus any expenses not covered by your insurance and up to 11% of your income going toward premiums.

We've been had.

[Hekate]

4. Not all we had hoped for, but a step in the right direction. nt

[Kermitt Gribble]

6. Boooooooo!!! n/t

[vaberella]

7. Oh, one of many going to CBO to see which is the best at lowering costs. Got it.

These guys are fast. Thanks for the heads up...I'm excited to read what's up.

[slipslidingaway]

8. knr nt

[depakid]

9. Oh boy! Medicare advantage!

A long delay in implementation and mandates.

I'm at the point where, like the poster above, I'm thinking Democrats deserve to lose- and lose BIG.

Seems to be what many of them want.

[Autumn]

10. They are getting what they want,

their coffers are filling up.

[backscatter712]

11. Hopefully, this will steal some of the wind from Lieberman's sails.

Lieberman's been the king of the last two news cycles, so we need some good news to regain momentum.

This does put some pressure on the Senate to quit fucking around and get a bill passed.

[Clio the Leo]

12. YayyyyYy! NT

[and-justice-for-all]

13. If you can not give us what we want and need, do not just settle

for a half assed bill.

[Atticus]

14. So, who do you think will be the next Speaker---Cantor? nt

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. Probably

I'm getting so sick of these "Democrats DESERVE to lose big if................" :eyes: The HCR bill hasn't even gotten to conference and already people are jumping on the "epic failure" bandwagon kind of like they did when Baucus finally shoved his bill out of his committee in the Senate. Amendments will undoubtedly be offered and there are still chances to improve whatever bill Pelosi introduces. I can't understand why a lot of people here act as though the bill being introduced tomorrow (or Baucus' SFC bill) is the final version of HCR legislation heading for President Obama's desk for his imminent signature. Whatever the Democrats do (or don't) "deserve" to have happen to them because of.....whatever, NOBODY "deserves" to have the Republicans make significant gains in the elections next year let alone take over Congress and I don't honestly believe that there will be as severe of a backlash (if there's one at all) if something were to pass as there probably would be if something does not. There are a lot of provisions in all of the legislation that has broad support and will help people. Even if what ultimately gets signed into law isn't perfect (which it won't be- and anything less than Single Payer will likely be considered a failure by most here), there will still be opportunities to improve upon it next year but vowing eternal political vengeance against the one political party that at least is working on the problem and predicting all manner of "doom and gloom" is counterproductive and ultimately a "bridge to nowhere" IMHO. As I see it, the hard part will be to get a comprehensive structure in place but once that is in place, it will be easier to tweak it as we go along. Nobody, not even President Obama, promised perfection out of the first round of health care reform but I think (or hope, anyway) that everybody agrees that it's better to get some things through now rather than deep-sixing all of the work that has already been done only to start over in an uncertain (and possibly an even less friendly) political climate later. :shrug:

[dccrossman]

17. +1

:kick:

[Parker CA]

16. Wasn't the progressive caucus not going to support a bill without a robust PO? This sounds

pretty watered down, although it does include some reforms that are much needed. Definitely will be interesting to see what the two bills end up creating in conference.