The Financial committee has finally after weeks of debates agreed on a health care reform plan on October 13. Their plan should insure 29million people who as of now do not have insurance and should cost about $829 billion. It is a bill that was created by choosing some out of the hundreds of amendments considered. All Democrats on the committee voted for this plan; however, only one Republican member, Sen.Snowe, was voting favorably as well despite the Financial Committee's decision to cut the public option from the bill.
The responsibility for presenting a bill now shifts to Congress where under the Democrat Harry Reid the Democrats will try to form a Bill that will gain support in Congress. The goal for Reid is not only to form a bill that will get passed by the Senate but also to do so by the end of this year and at a cost below $900 billion. However, to gain agreement by both the Senate and House Representatives might get tricky. As much as both chambers and both parties agree on some aspects of the reform - limiting expenses and guaranteeing insurance for pre-existing conditions, there are many divisive aspects of it as well with the main issue being the public option. The Finance Committee opted for a non-governmental health care co-option. The Health Committee on the other hand promotes a massive government run insurance option that should push down the costs of private insurance companies. Moreover, the Democrats in the House of Representatives have already stated that they will not support any bill that does not include a public option. Therefore, an agreement on a comprehensive bill is far away and could provide fatal to the whole reform movement.
by Lucie
Source: CNN Politics October 14, 2009
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