Comparing health care bills: House vs. Senate

[NewLIfeArea]

Cost and coverage
House
* Would cost $1.1 trillion in the first 10 years and provide coverage to 36 million more people.

Senate
* Would cost $871 billion in the first 10 years and would provide coverage to 31 million Americans who wouldn't otherwise have it.

Requirements for individuals
House
* All Americans, except for dependents, people living overseas and those with religious objections, would be required to have health insurance by 2013 or would face a 2.5% income tax surcharge.

Senate
* All Americans, with the same exemptions, would be required to have coverage by 2014 or would be fined $95 in 2014, $350 in 2015 and $750 in 2016. Higher earners would pay 2% of their income up to $2,250 for a family.

Requirements for businesses
House
* Companies with payrolls of more than $500,000 would be required to offer employees insurance or face a fine of up to 8% of payroll.

Senate
* Companies with more than 50 workers would pay a fine of $750 for each full-time employee if any worker qualifies for a federal subsidy to defray insurance costs.

Subsidies to pay for insurance
House
* Individuals making less than $43,320 a year and a family of three earning less than $73,240 would be eligible for subsidies. The subsidy would cover up to 99% of the premium for the lowest income brackets and 88% for higher incomes.

Senate
* A similar sliding-scale subsidy would be available to individuals earning less than $43,320 and a family of three earning less than $73,240 a year.

Public option
House
* Includes a government-run health insurance program for individuals who work for small businesses or who do not get coverage through work. Like private insurers, the public plan would negotiate how much to pay medical providers.

Senate
* No public option. Instead, the Office of Personnel Management would contract for two national insurance plans. The new plans, a non-profit and a for-profit, would be offered in each state for people without employer-sponsored health care plans and need to obtain private health care insurance.

Abortion
House
* Would prohibit women who receive a government subsidy for insurance from having an abortion covered either by a private plan or the proposed government-run program.

Senate
* Would require people who receive a government subsidy to make a separate payment for abortion services. It also would allow states to ban abortion coverage by private insurers in the insurance exchange.

Taxes and spending cuts
House
* Would impose a 5.4% surtax on couples earning more than $1 million a year and individuals making more than $500,000. Cuts Medicare and other federal programs by more than $400 billion over the first 10 years.

Senate
* Would impose a 40% tax on insurance plans that cost more than $8,500 for an individual and $23,000 for a family. Would increase Medicare payroll tax from 1.45% to 2.35% for individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and families earning more than $250,000. Would cut Medicare and other federal programs by $483 billion over 10 years.

Age rating
House
* Would allow private insurers to price premiums up to twice as high for older people.

Senate
* Would allow private insurers to price premiums up to three times as high for older people.

Children
House
* Would end state Children's Health Insurance Program after 2013 and allow children to receive subsidies to pay for private insurance.

Senate
* Would continue the Children's Health Insurance Program through 2015 and increase federal funding for states.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-11-30-comparing-health-bills_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. I would like to amend it

It needs some tweeking.