Senate

Medicare Rate Cuts

When it comes to health care, Congress proved once again, that they are out of touch with the public’s best interests. They spent a week arguing over a bill that would have prevented Medicare reimbursement rates from being cut. The rate cut amounts to 21 percent.

Under a 1990s law, Medicare rates were cut for budget purposes. Congress has routinely waived these cuts but this time lawmakers concerns over adding to the deficit prevented them from waiving this exception in a timely manner.

Author: Michael Gomes
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Let the Games Begin!

What a week.  First the House passes the Senate version of the Health Care Reform bill.  Then they pass a reconciliation bill that the Senate has agreed that they will pass.  Then the reconciliation bill gets modified by the Senate and then the House votes on the modified Senate version.  The President signs the first bill with great ceremony, is awaiting the second bill to sign as I write this and is now heading out on the road to begin to “sell” the plan to the American public.  Does any of this confuse you?  Well, just wait.

Author: Michael Gomes
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Health Care Bill Still Alive?

Depending on which Sunday talk show you watched, the health care bill may still be alive.  As expected the bill started to stall after Senator Scott Brown won the Senate seat in Massachusetts just two weeks ago. However, since the President’s State of the Union Address, Congress somehow has gotten renewed energy and is hopeful of passing a bill in 2010.

Author: Michael Gomes
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A Shift in Power

Just a few days ago, it looked like the biggest obstacle to clear the health care reform bill would be getting the House and Senate to come to an agreement on the terms within the bill.  Oh how a single Senate seat can change that around. On Tuesday, in a surprise victory, Republican Scott Brown defeated Democrat Martha Coakley to gain the open seat in the Senate, in the mostly Democratic state of Massachusetts. The open seat, once belonging to the late Senator Edward Kennedy, was crucial in determining the balance of power in the Senate.

Author: Michael Gomes
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Get Married, Pay More for Coverage

Under the new health care plan, couples that are married would be punished financially. The health care plan that Congress proposes would force married couples to pay thousands more than their unmarried counterparts who choose to live together without saying “I do.”

Author: Scott Kirksey
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Does the Senate Bill Help the Public or Certain Senators?

It hasn’t been easy to get all the votes necessary to pass the Senate health bill. 60 votes were needed to ensure it’s passing and getting those votes proved difficult.
To get the legislation passed, last minute deals had to be cut to get all 60 Senators to agree on the bill.

Author: Michael Gomes
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Is a Public Option Plan Over?

After back and forth negotiations, Senate Democrats came to a consensus on Tuesday and agreed to drop the government-run public option plan from the proposed health care bill. This came after five liberal and five moderate Democrats negotiated the terms of the bill behind closed doors over the past several days.

Author: Bernard DiFiore
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Let the Debate Begin!

The long awaited debate on Health Care Reform began today among a divided House and Senate. After procedural successes to get us this far, the future of reform is still in peril.  Yet, it is closer than it has ever been.  But what is really at the center of the debate?  If you look closely, you’ll find that few health care issues are the core of the disagreement.  What will drive these discussions are social issues – abortion rights and the public option plan being the most prominent.

Author: Michael Gomes
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Senate Democrats Release Latest Version of Bill

Senate Democrats unveiled the latest version of their health care bill Wednesday night, with the expectation that they have the 60 votes necessary to clear the procedural hurdle. A vote is expected to take place on Saturday to decide whether to take up the legislation.

The Senate bill would cost $848 billion over 10 years and it is estimated that the bill would provide coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans by expanding Medicaid and subsidizing private insurance for people with moderate incomes.

Author: Scott Kirksey
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Senate Bill Delayed

While the Senate is expected to continue working on finalizing their version of the health care legislation bill this week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has stated that he still doesn’t have enough support yet for the bill to pass the House.

Author: Michael Gomes
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