Value Based Purchasing and Health Care Reform

Negotiators to Meet in January to Mesh Healthcare Bills

House and Senate negotiators are scheduled to begin meeting in January to mesh the House and Senate healthcare bills.  See the Wall Street Journal article (12/28) discussing some of the differences between the House bill and the Senate bill and various issues that must be reconciled as congressional leaders attempt to agree on a compromise bill.

Senate Approves Healthcare Bill

Senate passes health-care bill, now must reconcile it with House (Washington Post)

Senate passes healthcare overhaul (L.A. Times)

Senate Passes Sweeping Health-Care Bill (Wall Street Journal)

Senate passes historic healthcare reform legislation in 60-39 vote (The Hill)

Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul on Party-Line Vote (New York Times)

Medicare Payment Reduction Update

Last week, President Obama signed into law the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010 (H.R. 3326), which includes a measure that will postpone the 21.2% reduction in Medicare reimbursements for physician services until March 1, 2010.  The payment reductions were scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2010.

Christmas Eve Senate Vote Expected

The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on its healthcare legislation tomorrow morning, Christmas Eve.  After clearing several procedural hurdles this week, senators will hold a final vote on the reform bill at 7 a.m. EST. 

 

If the legislation is passed, the Senate bill will then have to be reconciled with the House bill (see Nov. 7^th post below) before a final bill can make its way to the president.  Congressional leaders are reportedly already planning to begin meeting immediately after Christmas in effort to get the final legislation to President Obama by the State of the Union address in mid-January.  However, as discussed in the New York Times, there are multiple issues that must be reconciled in merging the House and the Senate bills. 

 

For more information, see the following articles:

 

AMA endorses Senate healthcare reform bill (The Hill)

 

See the related American Medical Association Press Release

Deep in the Health Bill, Very Specific Beneficiaries (New York Times)

Senate Manager's Amendment Unveiled; CBO Cost Estimate

This morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released the 383-page Manager's Amendment to the Senate healthcare bill.  According to the Congressional Budget Office (see CBO link below), the new legislation would cost $871 billion over the next decade and extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans.

See the text of the Amendment.

See the CBO Cost Estimate.

For additional information, see the following articles:

Bloomberg

Washington Post

The Hill

Possible Senate Health Reform Vote on Christmas Eve

As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to unveil his amendment to the Senate healthcare bill, the Senate may be moving toward a vote on the health reform legislation on Christmas Eve.  However, TheHill reports that Senate Democrats may still be working to secure the votes needed to pass the bill.  A few controversial issues have been the source of much debate for the past few weeks and continue present a challenge in securing the votes.  A few of the issues receiving considerable attention are abortion, a Medicare buy-in program for individuals ages 55-64, and the inclusion of a government-run insurance program.

Senate Majority Leader Amendment to be Unveiled

With a possible vote anticipated on Christmas Eve, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to release his amendment to the Senate healthcare bill and an accompanying CBO cost analysis tomorrow (Saturday) morning.  See the article from TheHill.