Congress

Baucus Bill Survives Committee: What Next

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The Senate Finance Committee this afternoon, on a vote of 14-9, approved the Baucus Bill out of committee, sending it theoretically to a floor vote. Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican from Maine, was the lone Republican vote in support.  The Bill, a center of recent controversy in terms of its lack of reported details, incomplete … Read more

Senate Reform Bill Budget Neutral?

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This afternoon, the Congressional Budget Office released a statement saying that the Senate Finance Committee Reform Bill (the Baucus Bill) prices out at $829 billion over ten years.  At this price-tag, given the revenue assumptions (fees, cuts, taxes, etc.) contained in the Bill, the CBO estimates that the Bill actually produces a modest deficit reduction … Read more

Senate Health Reform Bill Loses Public Option

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The Senate Finance Committee voted yesterday to eliminate the public option from its reform bill (aka the Baucus Bill) by a margin of 15 to 8. All Republicans and a hand-full of Democrats voted against inclusion. Of note, the Bill’s author, Senator Baucus voted for the removal of the public option stating that in his … Read more

Reform: The Senate Version

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After weeks/months of meetings, Senator Baucus of Montana representing the “gang of six” (three Democrats and three Republicans) released the Senate Finance Committee version of “healthcare reform”.  What started as a bi-partisan sub-committee alternative to the House version (HR 3200) ended as essentially, a Baucus bill; legislation lacking any real support from Senate Democrats and … Read more

Deficits and Health Care: Economics Redux

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I know this is supposed to be a blog about healthcare issues, primarily that which falls in the post-acute, long-term care and senior housing world but some stuff in the news right now is just too hard to ignore.  After all, healthcare reform does affect long-term care and post-acute care directly and economics, especially the … Read more

Translating “Washington” Speak

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Not unexpectedly, the politicians are all a “buzz” about healthcare reform right now.  The President even did a live radio/television talk-show to “clarify” what healthcare reform is really about; to translate as it were.  From CNN to Fox to certainly every Sunday talk show, politicians or members of the President’s cabinet are trying desperately to … Read more