The Ban on Abortion Coverage -The New York Times

When the House narrowly passed the health care reform bill on Saturday night, it came with a steep price for women's reproductive rights. Under pressure from anti-abortion Democrats and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, lawmakers added language that would prevent millions of Americans from buying insurance that covers abortions - even if they use their own money.

Senate Democrats Look to Start Health Reform Debate Next Week -The Hill

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is expected to finish its cost analysis of the Senate bill by the end of this week or early next. Senior aides and senators say Democrats plan to pivot quickly and file the first procedural vote as early as Monday. A "motion to proceed" vote, which brings the bill to the floor, would require 60 votes - a first, critical test of the caucus's unity on procedural votes.

Bill Clinton Meets With Senate Dems on Health Care -USA Today

Former president Bill Clinton knows just how high the political stakes are in the fight to overhaul America's health care system.

One More Step -The Huffington Post

Health care reform was always going to be tough as hell, as difficult as any issue that could ever be tackled. As I learned from the agony of the 1993-94 Clinton attempt at health care reform, this issue is so massive, so complicated, so unwieldy that it is prone to be derailed by lobbyists pulling on any one of the hundred hanging threads and unraveling the whole thing.

Calling Out Joe Lieberman -The New Republic

Via Think Progress, Joe Lieberman was on Fox News Sunday this weekend, making filibuster threats again.

Tomorrow, the House of Representatives is taking a historic step forward with a floor vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This bill is significant not only because it represents a mile-marker that our country has never reached in the history of health reform, but also because it will enable almost every American to get health coverage.

Here are a few more reasons your Representative should vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962):

• Currently, 46 million Americans do not have health insurance. This bill will provide much-needed help to American families by offering financial assistance for premiums and capping out-of-pocket costs.

• Even though many Americans have health care coverage, everyone still has a stake in health reform. Paychecks are getting thinner and thinner as premiums, co-pays and deductibles skyrocket. Uncompensated care increases the annual premiums for everyone else. By requiring individuals to purchase health insurance coverage, the Affordable Health Care for America Act will bring 36 million more people into the system and slow the rate of growth of premiums.

• Small business owners should not have to worry about laying off employees or cutting coverage. This bill will offer incentives in the form of tax credits for small business owners.

• Americans need to know that affordable, quality coverage will not be taken away from them, even when they get sick, have a pre-existing condition, or lose their jobs. This bill will no longer allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions. It also creates a new marketplace that will provide affordable choices for individuals to purchase quality health coverage, including a public option.

• Fixing the economy and fixing the nation's health care system are inextricably linked. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill will reduce deficits by at least $30 billion over 10 years. This bill is fiscally responsible. Every penny of the bill is paid for.

• Seniors should not have to worry about falling into medical debt once they are in Medicare. This health reform legislation closes the doughnut hole and provides discounts on prescription drugs. It protects beneficiaries' doctor-patient relationship by promoting primary care and care coordination. It also eliminates co-pays for preventive services.

If you haven't already done so, click here to urge your Representative to support this comprehensive bill.

"You are the most beautiful sight any of us freedom fighters have seen for a long time." Those are the words Rep. Michele Bachmann used to describe the scene on the West Lawn of the Capitol yesterday, as the protest came to a close. Sounds like an awesome crowd right? Not so fast.

After Rep. Bachmann and some of her conservative colleagues sent out a call to arms to "kill the health care bill," thousands of so-called "teabaggers" rallied on the Capitol grounds to show their disapproval of health reform. It was billed as a GOP press conference. Protesters carried colorful signs saying things like, "Stop Obamunism" and "A Commie Is in the House," but the worst of all was this:

...the best of Bachmann's recruits were a few rows into the crowd, holding aloft a pair of 5-by-8-foot banners proclaiming "National Socialist Healthcare, Dachau, Germany, 1945." Both banners showed close-up photographs of Holocaust victims, many of them children.

This is who Rep. Bachmann is proud of? These are the people she thinks are defending American values? We're going to have to disagree.

And while conservative members of Congress took the stage to protest the bill, the situation around them unfolded like a comedy of errors. The American flag fell over just moments into the event. Rep. Todd Akin incorrectly recited the Pledge of Allegiance. And Minority Leader John Boehner read parts of the Declaration of Independence, while calling it "The Constitution."

The mishaps above are funny, or maybe ridiculous. But one thing wasn't a laughing matter:

A man standing just beyond the TV cameras apparently suffered a heart attack 20 minutes after the event began. Medical personnel from the Capitol physician's office -- an entity that could, quite accurately, be labeled government-run health care -- rushed over, attaching electrodes to his chest and giving him oxygen and an IV drip.

Yes, that's right: Government-run health care helped saved a teabagger's life. While these "freedom fighters" protested reform and shouted "kill the bill," one of their very own depended on government-run care during a health scare. Ironic, isn't it?

Dana Milibank at the Washington Post sums it up well:

By the time it was over, medics had administered government-run health care to at least five people in the crowd who were stricken as they denounced government-run health care. But Bachmann overlooked this irony as she said farewell to her recruits.

This week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi unveiled the House's health reform bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. There are many provisions in the bill that should be applauded, but there are 14 that deserve special attention - primarily because they are implemented from day one. And for those who are without health care, these changes will make a world of difference.

Here are just a few of the 14 amendments that will take place immediately:

• Immediate help for the uninsured until the new exchange is available: Creates a temporary insurance program until the exchange is available to offer policies to individuals who have been uninsured for several months or have been denied a policy because of pre-existing conditions.

• Help for early retirees: Creates a $10 billon fund to finance a temporary reinsurance program that will help offset the costs of expensive health claims for employers that provide health benefits for retirees age 55-64.

• Ban lifetime limits on coverage: Prohibits health insurance companies from placing lifetime caps on coverage.

• Ends rescissions: Prohibits insurers from nullifying or rescinding a patient's policy when they file a claim for benefits, except in the case of fraud.

• Continuity for displaced workers: Allows Americans to keep their COBRA coverage until the exchange is in place and they can obtain affordable coverage.

These changes will be making a huge difference in Americans' lives from day one of implementation, which is exactly what struggling families need right now.

For more info on all 14 click here

The Republican Health Plan -The New York Times

House Republican leaders have produced their own health care reform bill. Here is the first thing you need to know: It would do almost nothing to reduce the scandalously high number of Americans who have no insurance. And it makes only a token stab at slowing the relentlessly rising costs of medical care.

Seniors and Doctors Give Key Boost to Healthcare Bill -The Los Angeles Times

With a historic House vote on a $1-trillion healthcare bill barely 48 hours away, battle lines are hardening as lobbying groups for seniors and doctors endorse the legislation, while thousands of protesters swarmed Capitol Hill to oppose it.

White House Backs House Bill -Politico

The White House will come out strongly in support of the House bill on Friday, an administration source tells POLITICO. The statement of administration policy will lay out the reasons that President Obama endorses the bill.

Health Care Opponents Intensify Late Attack -The Boston Globe

The sweeping health care overhaul package before Congress is under an 11th-hour attack over a pair of emotional issues, abortion and immigration, that are complicating Democrats' efforts to piece together the coalition they need to pass the bill.

The House Public Plan: Yes it's worth it -The New Republic

How short memories are in Washington. A few weeks ago, when it looked possible that Nancy Pelosi could marshal enough Democratic support to create a "robust" public insurance option with rates tied to Medicare's, everyone was talking about the big savings and reduced premiums that a series of estimates by the CBO showed this option could create.

No One Said Freedom Was Pretty -The Washington Post

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who made her name suggesting that Barack Obama and other Democrats have "anti-American" views, appeared on Fox News on Friday night and urged Americans to come to Washington to protest: "We need to pay a house call on Nancy Pelosi and tell her what she can do with the Pelosi health-care plan."

Vote Expected Saturday, but Could Be Pushed Back -Talking Points Memo

On a conference call with reporters this morning, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said that Democrats are "very close" to securing the 218 votes needed to pass health care legislation, but that Republican delay tactics, and perhaps even intra-Democratic disputes over abortion and immigration issues, could force a delay on final passage, potentially until Tuesday of next week.

After months of "Just Saying No" to health reform, Congressional Republicans, led by Representative John Boehner (R-OH), have released a 230-page draft health care proposal. The ideas proposed are disappointing, to say the least, but the degree to which they miss the mark is alarming.

On the GOP Web site, Boehner lays out the four tenets of the Republican proposal. In summary, the Republican proposal will: allow families and businesses to buy insurance across state lines; allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together to buy insurance; direct federal funds towards states to allow them to create high-risk pools; and impose rigid limits on medical malpractice lawsuits. That's it. That's the Republican plan in a nutshell.

Although it sounds kind of innocuous, this bill is actually harmful to American families. By allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines, the proposal allows companies to flock to the states with the weakest consumer protections, where they can sell the cheapest plans with the thinnest coverage. As House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told reporters, selling insurance across state lines would,

Gut consumer protections and encourage a race to the bottom.

The GOP proposal would also encourage insurance companies to "cherry pick" the healthiest consumers and offer them the best coverage, leaving those most in need of coverage out in the cold.

So what is the ultimate goal of the Republican's substitute bill? According to John Boehner, their bill "aims at driving down costs." Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, the third-ranking Republican in the House, put it more bluntly:

"[The Democrats'] focus is to get as close presumably to universal coverage as possible, and that's their every right to do. Republicans, listening to the American people back home, believe the real issue is cost."

And, unfortunately, the media have accepted this line without question.  But the problem is that it simply isn't true: Their bill doesn't really address the cost issue. But the House bill does, and very effectively. In fact, according to a new analysis by CBO health advisor Dr. Jonathan Gruber, the House bill will deliver substantial savings by lowering premiums for individuals and families.

The Republican bill merely ensures that the status quo will continue.

For the past nine months, Democrats have been working hard to craft legislation that will help American families get access to quality, affordable health care. Opponents of reform have complained about almost everything in both the House and Senate bills. So this was a big week for them; a chance for them to show the American people all of the solutions they've been working on. It turns out their health reform plan falls short -very short.

To summarize the bill in just a few words: The House Republican bill provides no protections for families and businesses.

The House bill released by Speaker Pelosi last week has been evaluated by the Congressional Budget Office, which predicted that the bill would cover roughly 36 million Americans. The House Republican bill, by contrast, would increase coverage for only 3 million, leaving an estimated 52 million Americans out in the cold.

Digging deeper into the Republican's bill only gets scarier. Families USA's analysis has found that the bill offers no protections for those with pre-existing conditions. The analysis says that the bill,

...does not require that insurers offer coverage to all Americans regardless of health status, it does not require that plans cover pre-existing conditions, and it does not limit an insurer's ability to charge individuals who have pre-existing conditions more for coverage.

Further, the bill offers no assistance to small businesses, who often cannot afford to cover their employees. The analysis finds,

The Republican alternative neither provides assistance with the cost of coverage to small businesses nor protects them from steep premium increases.

Need more proof that the House Republican bill just won't cut it? How about this: no out-of-pocket protections for middle class families, no subsidies for Americans who have a moderate income, and no protections against unreasonable premium hikes.

See a trend? The bill offers no protection for American families. And that's something American families just can't afford these days.

Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA says it best:

The proposal is one of the few bills introduced this year that is actually worse than doing nothing.

So thanks, but no thanks. The GOP finally came through with a bill in the eleventh hour, but if it's just going to make things worse, we're going to pass.

House Dems in Final Push on Health Care -AP

The House is steaming toward a historic vote on President Barack Obama's remake of the U.S. health care system, with Democratic leaders increasingly confident and the powerful seniors' lobby AARP about to get on board.

House Expected to Vote on Health Bill Saturday -The Washington Post

House leaders put in motion the machinery to hold a rare Saturday vote on the most far-reaching expansion of the health-care system in more than 40 years.

AARP to Endorse House Health Care Bill -The New York Times

Officials are telling The Associated Press that AARP--the seniors' lobby--will endorse the health care overhaul bill that House Democrats are preparing to take to the floor.

Budget Analysts Say GOP Bill would do little to Expand Health Insurance Coverage -The Washington Post

The long-awaited Republican entry in the health care debate received its assessment late Wednesday from congressional budget analysts, who concluded that the proposal would barely dent the ranks of the uninsured.

Even Worse Than You Are Hearing -The New Republic

From the moment the Republican leadership released its alternative approach to health care reform, critics (including me) pointed out that it was unlikely to make a dent in the number of people without insurance. 

Health reform's opponents have proven that they're willing to stop at nothing to block health care reform. They've made up rumors about death panels, they've ignored reputable polls that show that the majority of Americans do support health care reform, and they continue to scare the public by attempting to convince us that health care reform is a direct route to socialism. The last one is, of course, not true, but if you don't want to take our word for it, perhaps you'll listen to doctors from Massachusetts - a state that has been working to implement universal health coverage since 2006.

According to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, a large majority (70%) of physicians in Massachusetts support health reform three years after its passage.

See? They've seen no "government takeover," no slide toward socialism, and definitely no death panels in Massachusetts.

75% of physicians say they want to continue the policies that are now in place. That means that three out of every four physicians in a state that has already implemented reform stand behind their health care system.

One of the study's authors, Robert Blendon, remarked,

The findings suggest that it is possible to provide near-universal coverage of the population and have a resulting system that most physicians believe improves care for the uninsured without undermining their ability to provide care to their patients.

It's difficult for opponents of reform to make such deceptive claims about what might happen if reform passes, when it's become clear that they're doing little but flat out making things up.

While scaring the American people makes for good ratings on TV, it does little to improve the lives of the millions of Americans who are suffering without access to affordable health care. Let's give them real solutions, not tired old rhetoric.

The doctors of Massachusetts have spoken: Health reform is the best medicine for America's uninsured.

Senate Pressing Insurers on the Amount of Premiums They Spend on Care -The New York Times

The health insurance industry likes to cite figures showing that 87 cents of every dollar in premiums is spent on medical claims.

If Best Buy Sold Health Care -The Washington Post

It's a pretty safe bet that I'm going to be interested in any post entitled: "Health Care Costs: A Market-Theoretic View." And economist Austin Frakt delivers: His argument, essentially, is that a more competitive insurance market could lead to higher costs for consumers. The reason is simple enough: The relevant driver of costs is not the efficiency of the insurers but the prices charged by hospitals, doctors and other health-care providers.

Two Sentences That Sum Up the GOP Health Care Bill -Media Matters

Take a look at the highlighted sentences in the below article. Notice any problems?

Democrats Say House Bill Will Cut Premiums for Many -The New York Times

Op-Ed: Numbers, Not Shouting, Overwhelm Health Care Debate - Yahoo! News

We have the best medical professionals in the world, but fewer and fewer Americans can afford to pay for the care they can provide. The trends indicate that problem will get much worse.

McCain Adviser Holtz-Eakin Anxious About Moving into Individual Market He Once Touted -Think Progress

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a senior policy adviser to Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) presidential campaign, "remains unemployed - and his COBRA health coverage is running out," the Washington Post reports. "Irony of ironies, it gets worse. Holtz-Eakin, who is about to start shopping for insurance on the individual market, is 51.

In Washington, much of the discussion about affordability focuses on the gross costs of health insurance reform to the federal government: Specifically, should the gross federal costs be limited to $800 billion over ten years, $900 billion, $1 trillion, or some other figure. (The net costs will actually be zero or less since the gross costs will be fully paid for through the elimination of health system waste and new revenues.)

Around the country, however, America's families cannot fathom the difference between $800 billion, $1 trillion, or some similar figure. Instead, the value of health insurance reform for America's families, and families' real measure of affordability, will be determined by their own "pocketbook test": Will health reform result in sufficient savings so health coverage and care fit within family budgets.

The affordability test will be extremely important for middle-class as well as moderate- and low-income people and families. It makes sense, therefore, that sliding-scale subsidies be extended to people and families with incomes of at least 400 percent of the federal poverty level. At 400 percent of the federal poverty level -- $88,200 in annual income for a family of four -- health insurance premiums are difficult to afford: Average premiums for family coverage today exceed $13,000, which, even without the inclusion of deductibles and co-payments, constitute a significant portion of families' incomes. 

For low-income families and the near-poor, however, the provision of adequate help is even more important. It is these groups that constitute the bulk of the uninsured today. For them, an apparent nominal premium requirement -- even of two or three percent of income -- is quite likely to make insurance premiums unaffordable.

For this reason, the new House bill, which extends Medicaid eligibility to 150 percent of the federal poverty level (slightly above $33,000 in annual income for a family of four), makes abundant sense. Medicaid's out-of-pocket protections for premiums, deductibles, and co-payments are uniquely tailored to make coverage and care affordable for those who need help the most.

When the final legislation is crafted in the Senate-House Conference Committee, the conferees would be wise to retain this laudable expansion of the Medicaid program.  

This post also appeared on the National Journal's Expert Blog on Health Care. 

Obama Shepherds Health Bill -Politico

As health care reform legislation inexorably makes its way through Congress, President Barack Obama, who has the biggest stake in its success, has seemed distant from the grueling, detailed work of crafting the reform law.

Obama Strategy on Health Legislation appears to Pay off -The New York Times

After months of plodding work by five Congressional committees and weeks of back-room bargaining by Democratic leaders, President Obama's arms-length strategy on health care appears to be paying dividends, with the House and the Senate poised to take up legislation to insure nearly all Americans.

Hearts, Minds and Health Care -The Washington Post

The next health-care fight has already started. It's the battle to define the bill that President Obama will eventually sign as a victory for consumers, taxpayers and the common good.

Misrepresentations -The New Republic

A week ago, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was upset when The Yes Men, a group of pranksters and activists, held a fake press conference, claiming that the Chamber has reversed their opposition to climate change legislation. It's true that the Chamber was misrepresented. But the real question should be, who does the Chamber represent--particularly when it comes to health care reform?

Business Leaders Opposition to Public Health Insurance Option Takes Chutzpah -The LA Times

Eastman Kodak Co. has said sayonara to about 22,000 workers over the last five years. Verizon Communications Inc. says it will have handed about 16,000 workers their hats by Dec. 31 -- and it is already looking ahead to the possibility of more layoffs next year.

As Votes Near, Insurers Make Last Stand -Politico

When the insurance industry launched the first full-scale attack on key provisions of health reform, the Democrats' response was swift, brutal and aimed squarely at Karen Ignagni, a former Democratic Capitol Hill aide who is now the industry's top lobbyist.

Much of the controversy over health reform has centered around the idea of including a public option-a government-sponsored health insurance plan-in the final legislation. And much of the opposition has come from Republicans, who have warned that a public option would amount to a government takeover. (And, in their playbook, that's a bad thing.)

But it turns out that, while many of the most vociferous opponents of the public option didn't exactly lie, they didn't tell the whole truth. Because 55 Republican members of Congress who adamantly oppose the idea of a government-run health plan are ... ahem ... wait for it ... enrolled in a government-run health plan themselves. Yep, 55 Republican crusaders against this public option get their health care courtesy of Medicare.

We know this because Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York decided to conduct a study to see how many members of Congress (1) oppose the public option, and (2) are currently on Medicare. Rep. Weiner says it best himself,

Even in a town known for hypocrisy, this list of 55 Members of Congress deserve some sort of prize. They apparently think the public option is ok for them, but not anyone else.

The list of this "I've Got Mine" club includes dozens of Senators, such as Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. John Kyl, Sen. Orrin Hatch, and Sen. Mike Enzi. If these names don't ring a bell, let us help jog your memory.

Minority leader Mitch McConnell has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the current reform bills. Sen. McConnell took the Senate floor yesterday to say

[A public option] would soon be the only option. The others would simply fade away.... Private plans would either become so expensive that only the very wealthy could afford them or they would go out of business altogether.

Sen. Grassley has flip-flopped his way through the August recess, on the one hand saying he supports health care reform and on the other helping to spread the "death panel" rumor. He told the Kaiser Foundation that the public option was a "deal breaker" and furthermore, he said,

I don't see a compromise in that area. 

And last but not least, Sen. Kyl has expressed his disdain for the public option time and time again. Even when some Senators pushed the idea of a "co-op" to replace a public option as a form of compromise, this is what he said:

It is [a public plan] by another name. It is a Trojan horse. And therefore no, I don't believe Republicans will be inclined to support a bill.

The long list of hypocritical quotes goes on and on, but you get the point. It's an outrage that while these elected officials enjoy all the perks of government health insurance, they are telling every other American that they can't have access to it. And they're somehow doing it with a straight face.

Click here to see the full list of names.

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I'd love to do more to help move health reform through Congress, but I don't have much time?" If so, this blog's for you. All you need is your computer and a few spare moments.

Families USA has been chosen as part of CREDO Mobile's annual list of social change organizations to receive donations in 2009. Since its founding in 1985, the company has generated over $50 million for good causes by donating a portion of customers' charges to world-changing organizations.

If you're already a member of CREDO, all you have to do is head to http://www.credomobile.com/ballot and type in your log-in information. This year, we are on the ballot - and we need your votes! The more votes we get, the more funding we'll receive. The extra support will really go a long way toward helping us continue our vital work.

Right now is such a crucial time for health reform. Every day we get one step closer to a bill that will provide relief to the millions of Americans who currently don't have access to affordable health care. President Obama has said that he wants to see a bill on his desk by the end of the year. With your help, we can make that happen.

If you're not a member of CREDO, you can sign up for Credo's Action site, which helps out progressive causes like ours with petitions and information. Once you're a member, you can vote for Families USA. Please take the time to do so.

Just a few moments of your time can make a huge difference. Thank you for your support.

Health Care Reform Bill to Include Public Option -The Washington Post

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will unveil a health-care reform bill on Thursday that includes a government insurance option and a historic expansion of Medicaid, although sticking points in the legislation involving abortion and immigration remain unresolved.

Early Word on House Bill: They Done Good -The New Republic

Officially, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will not unveil the leadership's final health care bill--the one that goes to the floor for debate--until 10:30 a.m. Unofficially, her allies have been leaking details for the last few days and, in particular, the last few hours.

House Health Debate Hits Crunch Time -Politico

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who remains well shy of the 218 votes needed to pass a landmark health care bill, isn't wasting much time these days on colleagues who are firmly in the "no" column - or even those who appear to be.

Pelosi Hopes New Health Plan is Poised to Pass -AP

The retooled health care overhaul plan that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to unveil Thursday would extend coverage to millions and lets the government sell insurance in competition with private insurers - although not the way liberals want.

A Look at the Public Insurance Options -Kaiser Health News

One news outlet studies the practical meaning of public insurance option by examining some of the approaches that are already in existence. Meanwhile, another examines the number of people who would have access to the public plan. And a former insurance executive takes issue with the industry's current stance.

Today, Speaker Pelosi unveiled an historic piece of legislation - the House health insurance reform bill.

In addition to reducing the deficit, the bill reaches 96% of Americans and adds coverage for 36 million people - the most comprehensive coverage we've seen yet come out of Congress. It also expands Medicaid to a much broader segment of the population - to 150% of the federal poverty level ($16,245 for an individual and around $33,000 for a family of four).

Families USA's Executive Director, Ron Pollack, had this to say:

The House health insurance reform bill sets the gold standard for legislation that deserves to be adopted this year.

The bill will provide America's families with peace of mind. It does so by ensuring that affordable, high-quality health coverage and care will not be taken away from them, even when they get sick, have a pre-existing condition, or lose their jobs.

Families USA especially lauds the House proposal because it makes health coverage affordable to families most in need. It does so by ensuring that the Medicaid safety-net program will become available for families with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level - approximately $33,000 in annual income for a family of four.

The bill also provides needed subsidies so that health insurance premiums are affordable for working families.

We urge the House to adopt this bill as soon as possible. We will mobilize families across the country to secure final passage of the legislation this year.

Update! Click here for a short summary of the bill. And here for the top 14 provisions that take effect immediately.

Targeting the Senior Vote -NPR

Nearly all seniors already have health insurance through the Medicare program, but they are among the most sought-after groups in the political struggle to pass or kill a health overhaul bill.

Hoyer: House Dems on Verge of Bringing Healthcare Bill to the Floor -The Hill

House Democrats are days, if not hours, away from introducing the healthcare bill that will make it to the floor, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday.

Public Likes Public Option for Health Care. Joe Lieberman Doesn't. -The Christian Science Monitor

The public generally supports the public option. This may be one big reason that Senate majority leader Harry Reid surprised many in Washington by including a proposal for government-run insurance - also known as the "public option" - in the Senate's version of healthcare reform legislation.

Will Joe Lieberman Filibuster? -The Washington Post

I don't know why I don't take Joe Lieberman's threat to filibuster health-care reform more seriously, but I just don't. Take what Lieberman told reporters today...

End of COBRA Subsidies Rattle Unemployed -Kaiser Health News

Laura C. Trueman has spent much of her career promoting affordable health care.  Now, she wishes she could find some herself. 

Senate to Add ‘Public Option' to Healthcare Bill -The Los Angeles Times

In a dramatic sign of Democrats' growing confidence that they have the votes to pass a far-reaching healthcare overhaul, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday that the bill he intended to send to the Senate floor next month would include a "public option."

Despite White House Worry, Reid Rolls the Dice -Politico

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dismissed White House worries - and bucked his own reputation as a cautious lawmaker - by announcing Monday he'll push ahead with a public health insurance option, even though he's short of the 60 votes needed to pass it.

Fight Erupts Over Health Insurance Rates for Businesses with More Women -Kaiser Health News

The Pennsylvania home health care company Linda Bettinazzi runs is charged about $6,800 per worker for health insurance - $2,000 more than the national average for single coverage. One reason: nearly every one of her 175 employees is a woman.

Long Term Care Insurance Program Gains in House -AP

House health care legislation expected within days is likely to include a new long-term care insurance program to help seniors and disabled people stay out of nursing homes, senior Democrats say.

The Public Option Lives on. Wow. -The New Republic

By now you've heard the news: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will be including an "opt-out" variation on the public plan in the health care bill he brings to the Senate floor.

An Interview with Sen. Sherrod Brown: ‘Reid Listened to his Senators' -The Washington Post

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has been one of the Senate's leaders on the public option. His strategy, in large part, has been to emphasize how many Democrats support the idea, in comparison to the few that oppose it. Today, his work paid off, and the Senate will be considering a bill with a version of a national public option. I spoke to Sen. Brown about whether this is a good compromise, what will happen with Olympia Snowe, and why Democrats don't talk about Medicare more. A lightly edited transcript follows.

Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid outlined the details of the proposed health reform bill that will be debated on the Senate floor. That bill constitutes an amalgam of the bills previously adopted by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, had this to say:

"We applaud Senator Reid for his leadership in developing a health-reform bill that meets the key objectives of decelerating costs, increasing coverage, improving quality of care, and stopping abusive insurance company practices. The Senator's proposal constitutes a giant step towards the goal of securing high-quality, affordable health coverage and care for America's families.

Today's announcement augurs well for passing health insurance reform this year. In the multi-decade history of health reform, we have never come so close to enacting meaningful legislation. Senator Reid's announcement today moves us one step closer.

At this stage in the debate, nothing is more important than securing the 60 Senate votes needed to keep the health-reform process moving towards a conference committee with the House. Along with Senator Reid and his colleagues, we at Families USA intend to work vigorously and enthusiastically to secure that support.

We will do so as we continue to work towards strengthening the final legislation to further improve the affordability of health coverage, especially for those whose low incomes make it difficult to pay for health insurance today."

The Public Option: Rumor Check -The White House Blog

A rumor is making the rounds that the White House and Senator Reid are pursuing different strategies on the public option.  Those rumors are absolutely false.

Democrats Are Optimistic That the Public Option Will be Approved -The New York Times

Several Democratic senators voiced optimism on Sunday that Congress would pass a health care bill containing at least the germ of a government-run insurance program. Their expectations were grudgingly seconded by Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in 2008.

Congress: Reid's Bill is Ready -MSNBC

Per NBC's Mike Viqueira, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has a health-care reform bill ready and will send it to the Congressional Budget Office today for an evaluation of costs, according to a top aide. The measure will include a public option with the "opt out," whereby states could individually decide to remove themselves from the government plan.

Dems Push for Benefits to Start by 2010 -Politico

Democrats are pushing Senate leaders and the White House to speed up key benefits in the health reform bill to 2010, eager to give the party something to show taxpayers for their $900 billion investment in an election year.

Small Businesses Face Sharp Rise in Costs of Health Care -The New York Times

As Congress nears votes on legislation that would overhaul the health care system, many small businesses say they are facing the steepest rise in insurance premiums they have seen in recent years.

In what's becoming a weekly move from the insurance industry, yet another report has surfaced by an insurance company which is (shockingly) anti-reform. It seems that now that Congress is trying to clamp down on their egregious behaviors (like how a rape victim was deemed uninsurable after she took an HIV test after being attacked), they're not very happy.

The latest report is from the country's largest insurer, WellPoint. The report claims that costs for individuals and small businesses will rise, with young people getting hit the hardest. It takes a look at how reform will impact different demographic areas, unlike AHIP which looked at national trends.

A senior adviser on the Senate Finance Committee was less than impressed with WellPoint's report:

How many fatally flawed insurance company reports do insurance companies need before their credibility is entirely shot?" said Scott Mulhauser, a senior adviser on the Senate Finance Committee. "This is akin to the tobacco companies commissioning another study claiming nicotine isn't addictive and cigarettes don't cause cancer.

WellPoint's criticism of the pending legislation is no surprise. According to the Huffington Post:

WellPoint, the nation's largest health insurance company in terms of membership, has become one of the poster children for why reform is needed. With 35 million customers, one of every nine Americans is a member of a WellPoint health plan. Its annual sales of $60 billion netted corporate profits of $2.5 billion last year.

According to a 2008 study by the American Medical Association, WellPoint controls the largest market share in 9 of 42 states studied (CA, GA, IN, KY, ME, MO, NY, OH, and VA), dominating 71 percent of the market in Maine, 58 percent of the market in Indiana, and over half the market in Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia.

Which means....they have a lot (of profits) to lose when they're prohibited from dropping sick patients and cherry-picking the healthiest individuals. In other words, for the insurance industry, non-discrimination comes at a price. In California, they got a glimpse of this:

WellPoint hasn't been immune to these charges: Anthem Blue Cross of California, a WellPoint subsidiary, agreed to pay a $1 million fine and take back 2,330 people whose insurance was rescinded after they turned in bills for costly care earlier this year.

With premiums outpacing paychecks and millions more uninsured just in 2009 due to the high unemployment rates, it's difficult to take the insurance industry's anti-reform rhetoric seriously.

The truth is America has a lot to gain with health reform. Every state will see a huge increase in the number of people covered, and subsidies will be available to those families and individuals who are struggling with the cost. Reform will also put an end to insurance company practices of discrimination and mistreatment, even if it means bringing the insurance industry along kicking and screaming.

Senate Leader Takes Risk Pushing Public Insurance Plan -The New York Times

In pushing to include a government-run health insurance plan in the health care bill, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is taking a calculated gamble that the 60 members of his caucus could support the plan if it included a way for states to opt out.

Offer to Let States Opt Out of Health Plan Gains Support -The Wall Street Journal

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, stepping deeper into the health-care debate, put his weight Thursday behind a proposal that would create a new government-run insurance plan while giving states the option not to participate.

Citizens Confront Wellpoint: Poster Child for Health Insurance Reform -The Huffington Post

Citizens will pay a visit today to WellPoint's Indianapolis headquarters to protest the giant insurance company's abusive practices and its opposition to real health care reform.

Lawmakers Warm to the Public Option -The Washington Post

House Democrats are coalescing around an $871 billion health-care package that would create a government-run insurance plan to help millions of Americans afford coverage, raise taxes on the nation's richest families and impose an array of new regulations on private insurers, in part by stripping the industry of its long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws.

Insurers Say They Still Want Health Overhaul Deal -AP

Health insurers insist they're still committed to getting a health care overhaul bill passed this year. But all around Washington, people are wondering if - or when - the industry will change its mind and try to kill it.

House Health Care Bill Likely to Cover More, Cost Families Less, Than Senate Bill -The Washington Post

The House of Representatives is readying itself to release three delicious flavors of health-care reform. One of the bills will have a public option trigger. Another will have a level-playing field proposal. And the third will have the Hardy's Thickburger of public options: Medicare rates plus 5 percent, national, the whole deal. They're even forming a commission of independent experts to build a new formula that addresses the concerns of rural and Pacific Coast members, both of whom feel that Medicare underpays their hospitals.

Democrats go after Anti-Trust Exemption for Insurers -AP

Democrats launched a drive at both ends of the Capitol on Wednesday to strip the insurance industry of its decades-old exemption from federal antitrust laws, part of an increasingly bare-knuckled struggle over landmark health care legislation sought by President Barack Obama.

Study: Mass. Doctors Still Support Reform -Politico

Three years after Massachusetts passed sweeping health reform, 70 percent of doctors still support reforms, according to a study in today's New England Journal of Medicine. The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health researchers.

Looking to Unite Democrats on Health Reform, Obama takes a Partisan Tone -The Hill

In sharp contrast to how he got elected, President Barack Obama is bashing Republicans this week while urging Democrats to unite behind his effort to reform the nation's healthcare system.

Rape Victim's Choice: Risk AIDS or Health Insurance? -The Huffington Post

Christina Turner feared that she might have been sexually assaulted after two men slipped her a knockout drug. She thought she was taking proper precautions when her doctor prescribed a month's worth of anti-AIDS medicine.

Health Care's Political Tug of War -Federal Mirror

By all accounts, I'm living the American dream. I married a wonderful woman and raised two great kids. I own a house, two cars and a civil engineering business.

Sun Rises in East, Sets in West -Slate

"Public Option Gains Support" reads the lead headline on the front page of the Oct. 20 Washington Post. Citing a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, Dan Balz and Jon Cohen report that "support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public."

Recently, a story about a family feuding with their insurance company hit the Internet. The child's parents were upset because the insurance company was denying them coverage, saying that their son was too fat. Their son was four months old.

According to the Bernie Lange, the infant's father, an insurance company representative told him,

Your baby is too fat.

Again, this baby was just four months old. And he's perfectly healthy. He was still breast feeding and there is little his parents could have done differently. His father joked,

I could understand if we could control what he's eating. But he's 4 months old. He's breast-feeding. We can't put him on the Atkins diet or on a treadmill.

John Stewart covered the Lange family's plight this week and Stephen Colbert followed up with more information about obesity and health reform. Unfortunately, these funnymen weren't joking when they told the Lange's story. And while a four-month-old baby may just be the latest, most ridiculous example, insurance companies have gotten away with practices like this for decades.

North Carolina has made news lately because it is set to be the second state that charges obese people higher premiums, simply for being overweight. They call them "wellness programs," but they seem to be doing little more than discriminate.

Right now, employers are allowed to charge overweight employees 20 percent more in premiums. If that figure seems outrageous, consider this: Some members of Congress want that number to be as high as 50 percent.

While obesity may not be what the insurance companies deem a "pre-existing condition," it's just another way for them to take advantage of customers by increasing health care premiums for someone in less-than-perfect health.

The goal of health reform is to make sure that no person is discriminated against because of his or her health status. These so-called wellness programs-at least, the ones that involve penalties or rewards-are simply masquerading as a way to promote health, while serving as a way for insurance companies to continue gouging customers.

All across the country, women are charged more for insurance than their male counterparts. In all but 12 states, insurance companies can charge more for women's coverage than for men's. According to a National Women's Law Center study, insurers who use gender-rating can charge 40-year-old women anywhere from 4%-48% more than they charge men the same age. The vast majority of insurance plans offered in the individual market do not cover maternity care within the plan. And if women want to purchase additional maternity coverage, it can cost thousands more each month.

The most compelling arguments at the hearing came from witnesses who shared their personal stories of gender discrimination by insurers. One was Peggy Robertson.

Peggy and her husband were in the market to buy a new insurance plan because their current plan was getting too expensive. But when she applied for a plan with Colorado's Golden Rule, she was flat out denied coverage due to a "pre-existing condition" she did not event know she had. Peggy, in perfect health, discovered that she was denied due to the cesarean section she had had to deliver her first son. Peggy said:

I called Golden Rule and they said that if I would get sterilized, they would then be able to offer insurance to me.... After filing a complaint, I discovered Golden Rule is allowed to discriminate against women who have had a c-section. There was nothing I could do.

Peggy's experience, having Golden Rule deny her a policy due to her c-section, is shocking and disturbing. But it's legal in all but 5 states.

Women constantly find themselves in a bind when it comes to health insurance. As the child bearers, they are charged more for insurance, and yet also must take on the main responsibility for providing care in the family. This restricts their ability to work jobs that would provide good coverage. Women generally have lower incomes, tend to work part time, and often take responsibility for the family's health needs. Yet women have been finding it harder and harder to find affordable coverage with the services they need-services such as maternity care.

It's time we put an end to this discrimination and make sure all women have access to affordable coverage of the comprehensive services they need. All the health reform proposals being considered in Congress will end these practices.

Visit http://awomanisnotapreexistingcondition.com/ for more.

Speaker Pelosi Set to Stick with Liberals on Public Health Insurance Option -The Hill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is sticking with the liberal wing of her party on healthcare by choosing to go to the House floor with a public option based on Medicare, according to Democratic sources.

Obama Group Passes 300,000 Calls for Health Care -The Boston Globe

Pro-Obama groups said this morning they ended up at 315,023 calls to Congress on Tuesday pushing the health care overhaul, tripling the original goal of 100,000.

Insurance Company: Rape Survivor? Nope, We Won't Take Her -Womenstake.org

"Nope, we won't take her." This is what insurance companies in Florida said when asked whether they would provide insurance coverage to a hypothetical applicant who had survived rape. Let's back up a few steps. First, who was asking the question? Second, why was the applicant's history posed as a hypothetical? Third, what can we do to change this dire situation?

White House Relies on Core Healthcare Team -The LA Times

Peter R. Orszag, the White House official steeped in budget detail, is now so at home in the Capitol that he freely grabs Coke Zeros from the Senate Finance Committee's private stash when he talks healthcare costs with aides.

House Dems Trim Health Bill to $871B -AP   

House Democrats have cut the cost of their health care bill from more than $1 trillion over 10 years to $871 billion over a decade.

Many of us need a little extra help when it comes to sticking to an exercise routine or kicking our unhealthy habits. If our employers want to help us get healthy, that isn't so bad, right? We spend a third of every weekday at work, so a healthy workplace could really make a difference. But what if our employers decide to "help us" by charging us more-much more- for our health insurance?

So-called "wellness" programs that impose health insurance surcharges or discounts based on whether workers lose weight, quit smoking, or reach other health goals are popping up in workplaces around the country. For example, North Carolina state employees are dismayed to learn that they will soon be paying more for their health care if they don't lower their BMIs (Body Mass Index) and refrain from smoking. Currently, federal rules allow employers to charge their workers up to 20 percent more for their health insurance premiums if they fail to meet health goals. Some members of Congress want that amount to be increased to 30, or even 50 percent.

For example, the average annual premium for family coverage was greater than $13,000 in 2009. A 50 percent premium surcharge for a family's failure to lose weight or quit smoking could raise premiums to almost $20,000 a year.

Programs that punish people-people who may be genetically predisposed to weight problems, people who may have little access to gyms or safe exercise spaces, and people who frankly may not want their employers subjecting them to invasive measures of weight, blood pressure, and other privacy-invading tests-achieve the exact opposite of what health reform strives to do for Americans. That's why groups such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association oppose amendments that will sanction even higher premium penalties than the law already allows. 

Polls and surveys have been unequivocally clear that Americans want Congress to prohibit the practice of charging higher premiums to people because they are in less-than-perfect health or have a pre-existing condition. Yet these so-called "wellness" plans open the door for employers and insurers to continue this insidious discrimination. Let's be perfectly clear: "Wellness" programs that charge people more based on health status indicators-just like pre-existing condition exclusions and higher premiums based on health status underwriting-defeat the health reform goal of quality, affordable coverage for all. In fact, rather than help people improve their health, these types of wellness plans make coverage unaffordable for the very people who need it most.

Tell Congress it's Time to Deliver on Health Reform -Stand Up for Health Care

Health reform can't come soon enough. Premiums are rising faster than wages, more Americans are uninsured, and insurance companies play by their own rules. It's time to put an end to insurance company abuses and put people before profits.

Public Option Gains Support -The Washington Post

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public.

Democrats Holding Health Care Events across N.C. -AP

Democrats in North Carolina are holding health care events across the state, trying to build support for President Barack Obama's overhaul agenda.

Public Option More Popular than Bipartisanship -The Washington Post

Washington Post-associated blogger Greg Sargent looked over the new Washington Post poll, and it's got the most relevant question on the public option that I've seen...

Give ‘Em HELP Harry -The New Republic

The Senate Finance Committee has been the focus of so much attention, for so long a time, that it's easy to forget another committee in the Senate passed its own version of reform several months ago.

White House Pushes to Shape Health Bill -USA Today

Proponents of revamping the nation's health care system will hold phone-bank events in 50 states today. Here in the nation's capital, a coalition of more than 100 liberal interest groups will convene its weekly meeting, with health care atop the agenda. Congressional leaders will seek to meld five health care bills into two for House and Senate votes.

You've heard the same story many times since the recession hit last year: Every day, hard-working Americans lose their jobs. And with their jobs, many of these families lose something else-their insurance coverage.

According to the Census Bureau, some 46.3 million people lacked health coverage in 2008. But this number does not account for the continued rise in unemployment through the first eight months of 2009. As unemployment rises, so do the numbers of uninsured, making the latest Census Bureau data a likely underestimate of people who are uninsured today.

Families USA took an in-depth look at the link between unemployment and the rate of uninsured in its latest report, "One-Two Punch: Unemployed and Uninsured."

As a result of the steady rise in unemployment, Families USA predicts an increase of more than 4 million uninsured adults in 2009. The rising uninsurance rates due to unemployment among working-age adults have affected every state, but most notably these five: Oregon (uninsurance rose 3.1 percent points), Michigan (3.0 percent points), South Carolina (2.7 percent points), Nevada (2.7 percent points), and North Carolina (2.6 percent points).

What do all of these numbers mean? Given the rapid rise in uninsurance, the total number of uninsured today likely exceeds 50 million.

Losing a job is devastating enough; a family should not also be confronted with going without health insurance. A reformed health care system will eliminate the one-two punch of becoming unemployed and losing health insurance as a result. Health reform will ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable coverage, even if they fall on hard times.

Want to do something about it? Click here and let Congress know that Americans can't wait for reform!