Obama Health Download the proposal in time for the summit on health: Monday, February 22, 2010, presented the White House a new health reform law test based on the approved version of the Senate last night’s Christmas with a number of changes to House Democrats who have concerns with the bill in the Senate had fallen. The President’s proposal does not include public choice, despite the hopes of the Democrats in the Senate because of concerns from the White House, is that the determination to pass the Senate. Obama ignored requests from Republicans and Democrats back to zero. As such, objections to the Republican and Democratic leaders of the motives of the bill characterized as a massive government takeover of American health care system.

Republicans that House Democrats have not announced the votes of the legislation, Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) Wednesday, that the Democrats agree the necessary votes for the President’s proposal because of the lack of building three new offers of houses and leaving the support by some moderate Democrats. In a matter of a few Democrats are weaker in the abortion provisions of the proposal of the President and the current controversy over a law with simple majority, approved a process of reconciliation known.

Summit on Health Care Overview

On Thursday, the president of the Summit Health Care has started around 10:00 with the President’s remarks followed comments from Republicans and Democrats. The discussion on four areas: cost control in health care, the consideration of the insurance market, the deficit reduction focus and expand insurance coverage. Before Thursday, said the Republicans and some Democrats, that many very low expectations for the summit was a success.

House Republicans have come together with their own version of a bill for the health of armed support for small businesses to buy insurance, federal money to states to see hedge fund for those that do not run for private insurance and damage caps on medical malpractice lawsuits. The Republican plan would cost 61 billion U.S. dollars and refer to three million people in ten years. By contrast, Obama said his plan would cost 950 billion U.S. dollars and cover 30 million people in the same period. However, said leaders of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), they would be able to officially mark the President’s proposal with only a summary – the legislative language is required.

Note: A complete summary of the findings of the Health Summit will be included in the ballot next week

Complementary Activities

WellPoint executives defend the premium increases: On Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce oversight and investigations held a hearing on the proposed increases in health insurance premiums to Anthem Blue Cross California review. Anthem, a subsidiary of WellPoint, reported recently to its subscribers in California than premiums for individual insurance would increase to an average of 25 percent, with rates climbing to 39 percent. Angela Braly, WellPoint chairman, said the higher premiums due to rising medical costs were justified, and pending legislation that could aggravate the problem, leading to additional costs for the young and healthy.

“The increase in our premiums was not something that we wanted to do,” said Braly. “But we believe that this was the wisest choice, given the rising cost of care and problems provided by the many young and healthy drop or reduce coverage in difficult economic times. By law, premiums must be to be proportional services provided, they reflect the known costs and should cover. ”

In Sacramento, Leslie Margolin, president of Anthem Blue Cross of California testified before the legislature and also the Vice-President and CEO James Oatman. The purpose of this was also the planned increase in contributions to members of California in the individual market, with business leaders point to economic conditions and rising health care costs as reasons for higher rates.

U.S. House repealed antitrust exemption Health Insurance: Wednesday agreed to by the House 406-19 in favor of the repeal of such exemption 65-year-old health insurance. Democrats said the cancellation would cause a more detailed investigation of the industry. However, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last year that the repeal of the exemption will not significantly reduce the premiums that states and to investigate the health insurance.

In addition, industry executives said that more recent laws could impede competition and the ability to share information to improve the quality of healthcare. “Health insurance is one of the most regulated industries in the U.S., both federal and state,” Karen Ignani, president and CEO of American Health Insurance (AHIP). “The real goal should be to the rising cost of medical care, an unsustainable burden on the family address, the employers and the federal budget,” he said.

Public opinion

Suggest Voting reform health care is the key to economic recovery: Recent studies on the health reform shows mixed reactions among the public about the bill. According to a recent CNN poll, 48 percent of respondents said the legislature must work in a completely new account and 25 percent said Congress should stop working on health reform as a whole.

According to the monthly survey believe the non-partisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 75 percent of Americans still, Obama is important that the health system cope with the economic crisis, while many still doubt the harbor legislation.

On the question of how the laws of health financing in connection with:

* Nearly 31 percent said they thought the Democrat bills that their personal economic situation is even worse, compared to 10 percent, it would improve their family budgets, said.
* Forty-two percent said that the financial situation of the nation suffers the right to 26 percent, which compared more accurately.
* Americans are whether the Democrats could approach a total access to medical care across the country to improve shared, while 35 percent said they do not agree, and almost as many.

Insurance coverage varies greatly by age: the entry just before the presidential election summit on health reform, a new Gallup poll reinforces the degree of variability in health insurance coverage over the United States population groups, especially when it comes to age. Eighty-four percent of 18 Medicare, probably because they are still covered by the policy of parents. On 22 reached their lowest point in health insurance with only 66 percent to keep the supply up. In 22 years, the percentage of Americans have health insurance begins to rise, albeit slowly, reaching 95 percent at age 65 with Medicare is one option.

For the future

The legislature must decide the next steps for legislation on the future health of the presidential summit on reforming the health system. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Social Services Kathleen Sebelius invited leaders from insurance, the first five to HHS to cover the fees to talk to their insurance.