WASHINGTON WIRE
September 25, 2009
Issue 215
For daily updates on the healthcare reform debate, please see and bookmark PPSV's Healthcare Reform Resource Center
Senate Finance Committee Continues to Mark Up Healthcare Reform BillHouse Committee Considers Amendments to HR 3200
House Passes Continuing Resolution To Fund Federal Programs Through October
Former DNC Chairman Tapped to Temporarily Fill MA Senate Seat
Hearings
Top Story
Senate Finance Committee Continues to Mark Up Healthcare Reform Bill
On Friday, September 25, the Senate Finance Committee wrapped up the first week of their mark up of America's Healthy Future Act of 2009. The Committee will continue their consideration of over 500 amendments next Tuesday September 29. (A list and description of those amendments can be found on the Committee web site, as well as on PPSV's Healthcare Reform Resource Center document page.) The bill currently includes an individual mandate, a fee for employers over a certain size that do not provide coverage for employees, develops state exchanges that would pool the individual and small group markets and creates a number of new standards for the private individual and small group insurance markets.
On Tuesday, the Committee is expected to consider amendments to add a “public option” to the bill, an option that some Democrats believe will provide needed competition for private insurance companies. In it's current form, the legislation would appropriate funding for non-profit member owned health insurance cooperatives to compete with private insurance companies.
This past week, the Committee discussed a series of controversial and complicated policy options. On Thursday, the Committee discussed and ultimately rejected a proposal to require pharmaceutical companies to give larger drug discounts to Medicare beneficiaries with lower incomes. The amendment would have resulted in drug makers providing Medicare more than $100 billion over 10 years
The Committee also held lengthy discussions on the individual mandate. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jim Bunning (R-KY) each authored amendments related to the bill's requirement that individuals have health insurance. While the Committee voted on and rejected Bunning's amendment, which would have allowed individuals to opt out of the requirement on their tax forms for any reason, Grassley's and Wyden's amendments have yet to be fully addressed. Grassley discussed his amendment, which would allow states to opt out of the individual mandate requirement if they implemented an alternative method for expanding coverage. Wyden spoke in support of that idea, and said that his amendment would essentially have the same result. Grassley withdrew his amendment so that his staff would have the time to review Wyden's amendment.
Health Care News
House Committee Considers Amendments to HR 3200
The House Energy and Commerce Committee this week continued marking up of their version of the House Tri-Committee bill (HR 3200.) The Committee voted to pass the bill out of Committee before the August recess, but the Committee has reconvened to consider a series of amendments that they were not able to vote on prior to recess
On September 23, Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute which was approved as amended by voice vote. The Committee also approved 28-22 a supplementary package of amendments, which will be sent to the House Rules Committee as a recommendation that will not automatically be included in the final version of HR 3200. Two Blue Dog Democrats and the Committee Republicans voted against the package.
The Committee also unanimously approved an amendment that would require hospitals to report data on charges for common services and for plans to disclose an individual's cost sharing obligations such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.House Passes Continuing Resolution To Fund Federal Programs Through October
On Friday, September 25, the House adopted 217-190 a spending bill conference report that would prevent a government shutdown. On Thursday, the House and Senate conferees attached a continuing resolution that would fund federal government programs through October to the FY10 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. The Senate is expected to consider the package next week.The 2009 fiscal year ends Wednesday, September 30, but the Senate has completed only 5 of 12 appropriations bills. The continuing resolution will fund most government programs at FY09 levels, with a few exceptions such as veterans' health care
The Legislative Branch Appropriations bill is considered one of the least controversial spending bills in Congress, making it an attractive vehicle for the stopgap funding measure. However, some Republicans were upset by the move, and by the fact that all six of their amendments offered during conference were rejected.Former DNC Chairman Tapped to Temporarily Fill MA Senate Seat
On Thursday, September 24, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) appointed former Democratic National Committee Chairman Paul Kirk to temporarily fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D) on August 25. Kirk will serve as a Senator until January 1, 2010, when the state will hold an election to fill the seat.
Earlier in the week, Patrick signed into law the bill that allowed him to fill the seat prior to the special election. Patrick also sent an emergency declaration saying the bill must take effect immediately; the bill would ordinarily take effect after 90 days. The Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jennifer A. Nassour filed a motion September 24 seeking an injunction against the appointment.
Upcoming Events
Hearings
Tuesday, September 29Health Care Revision
Senate Finance Committee
9:30 a.m.; 216 Hart Bldg.
Wednesday, September 30
Health Care Revision
Senate Finance Committee
9:30 a.m.; 216 Hart Bldg.
VA Health Services Contracts
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
9:30 a.m., 418 Russell Bldg.
Health Systems Costs and Quality
Senate Special Aging Committee
11 a.m., 106 Dirksen Bldg.
Medicaid Substance Abuse
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs - Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security
3 p.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.
Thursday, October 1
HHS Nominations
Senate Finance Committee
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.
Veterans' Health Bills
House Veterans' Affairs - Subcommittee on Health
10 a.m., 334 Cannon Bldg.
For More Information
For further information on any topics discussed or publications listed, or to get copies of anything mentioned in this alert, please call (202) 466-6550 and ask for the Legislative Practice Group.
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