Despite Scott Brown’s victory, there’s still a lot of debate over the fate of health care reform around Washington and in living rooms across America. (There’s even some debate here at Swampland.) Every day we try to read the signs and report back how things are looking. Should supporters feel hopeful? Are Democrats just plotting their …
health reform
The HHS Budget and What it Says about Reform
At a news briefing today, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius talked about funding for her agency contained within President Obama’s proposed 2011 budget. She talked about more money for community health centers, information technology, and drug and cancer research, among other priorities. But toward the end of the …
The Democrats’ Communication Problem
Democrats are still smarting from Scott Brown’s upset victory in Massachusetts last week. Health reform seemed inevitable and then, suddenly, it wasn’t. As Karen pointed out, Democratic lawmakers are still searching for a path forward that might include reconciliation. They may succeed, but certainly not because the American people …
Pelosi: We Don’t Have The Votes For The Senate Bill
Is there a Plan B?
The big news today is that the Speaker has come pretty close to closing the door on the idea that the House pass the Senate version of the health care bill. Our colleague Sophia Yan was at her news conference, and reports:
The Unions’ Deal on Health Reform: Beyond the Excise Tax
Part of the deal the unions struck with the White House and congressional Democrats was a promise that their members would be allowed to shop in the health insurance exchanges. This could have a huge impact on the market within and outside these new insurance marketplaces that would be created by health reform legislation. (The Senate …
UPDATE: Health Reform and the States
As Karen noted earlier today, she and I have a story in this week’s magazine about how much states will be on the hook if and when federal health reform passes.
The impetus for the story was, in part, the growing number of governors across the country publicly slamming the idea of expanding insurance coverage to millions of …
NEWS FLASH: Rush Limbaugh Endorses Health Reform!
Except he apparently didn’t know it.
Over at the New Republic, Anthony Wright explains.
Why Democrats are Eager to Tout Reform’s “Immediate Benefits”
It’s becoming clear that, assuming it passes, Democratic health care reform will be a major issue in the 2010 congressional races. Several prominent Republicans – including Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey – are already advising GOP candidates to call for full repeal of the legislation. Democrats, meanwhile, are expected to campaign on …
A Christmas Gift for the Insurers?
I’m a little late on this, but had to share the latest evidence that investors in private health insurance companies feel they prevailed in their lobbying efforts over the Democratic health care bill. Here’s what happened after the Senate voted to break the Republican filibuster on Monday, according to the AP:
The Freshman Class and Health Reform Cost Containment
Lately, there has been no shortage of criticism that the Democratic health care bill doesn’t do enough to cut health care spending. My colleague Karen Tumulty had a great story in the magazine recently about how cost-containment provisions in health reform legislation have been whittled down. Right now, on the Senate floor, a group of …
What Happens If Liberal Senators Cash In Their Public Option Chips?
The scuttle around Capitol Hill today is that public option devotees in the Senate are considering giving up the fight – in exchange for some rather hefty parting gifts. But before we get too far, let’s clear one thing up – again. The public option “alternative” – which would replace the opt-out public plan currently in the …
Abortion, Women’s Health and Health Reform
On the op-ed page of today’s NYT, Wellesley economics professor Phillip B. Levine offers some real-world perspective.
Pre-Game at the Senate Finance Committee
A few minutes after the scheduled 9 a.m. start, and Max Baucus has launched into his opening statement, declaring, “This is a balanced package.” At each place on the press tables is a stack of papers several inches deep.
I got here about a half-hour early and was not surprised to see what looked to be a couple hundred people standing …