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NEWS
Reform Bill Will Address GOP Fears – Washington Post
The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said Monday that he will propose an overhaul of the nation’s health-care system that addresses a host of GOP concerns, including blocking illegal immigrants from gaining access to subsidized insurance, urging limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and banning federal subsidies for abortion.
Former Cigna exec: Baucus plan "absolute gift" to industry – Politico
Wendell Potter, the former Cigna executive-turned-whistleblower, told a small group of reporters Monday that the Baucus health care plan is an “absolute gift” to the industry.
New Objections to Baucus Health Care Proposal – New York Times
Two of the three Republicans in a small group trying to forge a bipartisan compromise on health care have requested numerous major changes in a proposal drafted by the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, reducing the chances that he can win their support.
Drug Makers to Back Baucus Plan With Ad Dollars – New York Times
The drug industry’s trade group plans to roll out a series of television advertisements in coming weeks specifically to support Senator Max Baucus’s health care overhaul proposal, according to an industry official involved in the planning.
Poll Finds Most Doctors Support Public Option – NPR
Among all the players in the health care debate, doctors may be the least understood about where they stand on some of the key issues around changing the health care system. Now, a new survey finds some surprising results: A large majority of doctors say there should be a public option.
Revolving door for health-care aides – Politico
Some of the most influential aides in the closed-door Senate Finance Committee negotiations over health care reform have ties to interests that would be directly affected by the legislation.
Latino Lawmaker Rips Obama for Making It Harder for Illegals to Buy Private Insurance – ABC News
Already under fire from the Right on the issue of illegal immigration, President Obama is now coming under fire from the Left for making it harder for undocumented workers to buy private health insurance.
OPINION
A Peek at What Max’s Bill Really Means - Jon Cohn
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus says he will release a health care bill* very soon, maybe in the next 24 hours. And we already have a pretty good idea what it will look like, thanks to an outline Baucus has distributed to the Gang of Six–the bipartisan group with which he’s been trying to hammer out a compromise.
Small Businesses and Health Reform: It’s Time to Speak for Ourselves – Huffington Post
In his speech to Congress on Wednesday night, President Obama touched on the urgency of fixing health care for America’s small businesses. The President highlighted how rising costs are forcing business owners to scale back or drop coverage and how concentrated health insurance markets give insurance companies free reign to overcharge small businesses who have no leverage.
Doctors Like Public Option, Especially As A Choice – Daily Kos
In the New England Journal of Medicine today, a fascinating poll survey done by doctors from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York via email and phone, shows doctors overwhelmingly comfortable with the public option. As noted by NPR.
Conventional Wisdom and the Health Care Debate Now – Mike Lux
So the dust is beginning to settle after the President’s great speech Wednesday night. His poll numbers are up, his plan’s numbers up as well. Republicans are on the defensive because of their tea party style histrionics. Democrats are feeling more confident and more unified.
What if Finance can’t report a bill? – Congress Matters
Yesterday, I wondered what the strategic situation was for Senators on the Finance Committee who were dissatisfied in some way with the Baucus draft. Are they better off voting to report a bill they don’t like? Or refusing to, and letting the process deal with getting no bill from Finance, in whatever ways it can?
