A clarification on health care legislation
It sounds like everyone and their uncle have a health care bill out there. There is an excellent source of information on what bills are out there full with links to data, references, and interviews of interested parties.
Here's an excerpt:
"For anyone who has lost track of where we are on the health-care bill, here is a brief summary. Three different House committees have reported out health-care bills. All three contain mechanisms for setting up a public plan, but it would be limited to various groups of people, and would not kick in immediately. All the bills contain a mandate for individuals to buy health insurance or pay a fine and all three provide for government subsidies for poor people who can't afford insurance. The bills differ on many details and the three chairmen, George Miller (D-CA), Charlie Rangel (D-NY), and Henry Waxman (D-CA), are currently working with the White House and Nancy Pelosi to come to one bill which would be brought to the floor of the House for possible amendments and a vote. The Progressive Caucus says it will not support a bill without a public option and the Blue Dog Caucus says it will not support a bill with a public option. Both caucuses are large enough to defeat the bill. Horse trading and sausage making are going to be on display shortly.
Over in the Senate, the HELP committee, formerly chaired by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and currently chaired by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), has already reported out a bill that includes a public option. The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), has produced a 223-page bill but not passed it yet. It has something for everyone. Liberals like the fact that it increases the Medicaid limit up to 133% of the poverty line and allows small businesses with up to 50 workers to join "exchanges" on which private insurance companies would offer competitive plans to gain new customers. Furthermore, the 50-worker limit would increase over time, allowing bigger companies to join in."
There is also an interesting interview by Ezra Klein of Jay Rockefeller (D-NY) in Washington Post where the Senator explains what is wrong with Max Baucus' bill.
Here's an excerpt:
"For anyone who has lost track of where we are on the health-care bill, here is a brief summary. Three different House committees have reported out health-care bills. All three contain mechanisms for setting up a public plan, but it would be limited to various groups of people, and would not kick in immediately. All the bills contain a mandate for individuals to buy health insurance or pay a fine and all three provide for government subsidies for poor people who can't afford insurance. The bills differ on many details and the three chairmen, George Miller (D-CA), Charlie Rangel (D-NY), and Henry Waxman (D-CA), are currently working with the White House and Nancy Pelosi to come to one bill which would be brought to the floor of the House for possible amendments and a vote. The Progressive Caucus says it will not support a bill without a public option and the Blue Dog Caucus says it will not support a bill with a public option. Both caucuses are large enough to defeat the bill. Horse trading and sausage making are going to be on display shortly.
Over in the Senate, the HELP committee, formerly chaired by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and currently chaired by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), has already reported out a bill that includes a public option. The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), has produced a 223-page bill but not passed it yet. It has something for everyone. Liberals like the fact that it increases the Medicaid limit up to 133% of the poverty line and allows small businesses with up to 50 workers to join "exchanges" on which private insurance companies would offer competitive plans to gain new customers. Furthermore, the 50-worker limit would increase over time, allowing bigger companies to join in."
There is also an interesting interview by Ezra Klein of Jay Rockefeller (D-NY) in Washington Post where the Senator explains what is wrong with Max Baucus' bill.