Federal Reform Proposals
President Obama has put health care reform at the top of his agenda and the summer and fall were consumed with the debate. The House passed a bill on November 7th by a 220-215 vote and the Senate passed its bill on December 24, 2009 by a vote of 60-39. The two bills will be reconciled in conference committee and then be subject to approval in the house and Senate.
Please check the In the News tab on our website for current postings on the health care debate.
- January 7, 2010 The Congressional Progressive Caucus writes to Speaker Pelosi on the conference bill, holding firm to a public option and state single payer. Read it here
- Senator Franken makes a statement in support of the Senate Reform Bill and explains the provisions he thinks will help Minnesotans
- Kaiser Family Foundation has a side by side comparision of the House and Senate Bills. Download here
- You can read the White House Health Care Platform and updates on current progress here
- MUHCC releases statement on the public option. Read it here.
- Jacob Hacker, the original proponent of "The Public Option" has written a paper to outline its principles and how it works to control costs. Read it here.
- A central feature on all versions of the debated reform bills is the creation of Health Insurance Exchanges. Read a New York Times article explaining the challenges of creating effective exchanges.
- The Congressional Progressive Caucus has outlined Principles for a Public Health Care Option with the demand a "robust" public plan exist along with private insurance if a national single-payer plan is not adopted. You can download the principles here or see the Congressional Progressive Caucus site here.
- Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a bill, S898 entitled States Right to Innovate in Health Care Act of 2009. This bill would amend the Social Security Act to provide grants to states for both planning and demonstration of Universal Health Care programs that meet specified criteria including simplified administration, comprehenisve benefits, focus on primary care and cost containment. The bill specifies that at least one of the five states to receive a demonstration grant must enact single-payer system. The Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition endorses S. 898.
Follow S. 898 in the Senate. (Click on search by Bill Number and type in S 898)
- Wendell Potter, a former Vice President of Cigna, the country's 4th largest insurer, testified before the Senate in June 2009 about the role of for profit insurance in health reform. In his testimony he said "I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry. Insurers make promises they have no intention of keeping, they flout regulations designed to protect consumers, and they make it nearly impossible to understand - or even to obtain - information we need. As you hold hearings and discuss legislative proposals over the coming weeks, I encourage you to look very closely at the role for-profit insurance companies play in making our health care system both the most expensive and one of the most dysfunctional in the world." Read his full testimony here