Blue Mass Group

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Whose Interests is the White House Representing in the Senate-House Health Reform Conference?

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by Scarecrow

After the Senate passed its version of the health reform bill, the White House was quick to announce that the President and his aides will be actively involved in helping to guide the process of reconciling the Senate and House bills.

Nothing wrong with that; it’s what we’d expect from any White House in pursuit if its own agenda and legislation affecting the public interest. But something’s missing, something important.

What the announcement left out is any statement about whose interests and what positions the White House would represent.  read more

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  2. By: emptywheel Tuesday December 29, 2009

    Like Nate, I appreciate having a discussion based in facts and details. And Nate says several of the cost estimates I used to show why the health care bill is unaffordable for middle class families “are on the high side.” I appreciate him checking my numbers-as I have said on several versions of the post I have done on affordability, I’d like to have a real discussion about these costs.

    read more

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    p>Two of the most clear-thinking clear-speaking wonks debate “affordability” the health care bill, arguably the most critical issue of a bill that mandates coverage.  

  3. This article is a review of the issues the conference committee will tackle:

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    By: David Dayen Tuesday December 29, 2009

    Paul Waldman’s piece about the differences to be worked out in the House-Senate conference committee on health care is a pretty nice recitation of the issues we’ve been discussing for several weeks. He offers ten specific issues:

    1. Funding (House surtax v. Senate “Cadillac” excise tax)
    2. The insurance exchange (House nationwide exchange v. Senate state exchanges)
    3. The almost-public option (House’s public option v. Senate OPM-managed plans)
    4. The start date (House 2013 v. Senate 2014)
    5. Insurance subsidies (House more generous subsidies v. Senate stingier subsidies)
    6. Medicaid expansion (House 150% of poverty v. Senate 133% of poverty)
    7. Insurance vouchers (House has nothing, Senate has a sliver of Ron Wyden’s Free Choice Act)
    8. Immigrants (House’s allowance of undocumented access to exchange v. Senate banning access)
    9. Individual mandate enforcement (House’s stronger enforcement v. Senate’s weaker enforcement)
    10. The Medicare commission (House has none, Senate has one)

    These are not the only issues to be reconciled, of course. The medical loss ratio provisions, the Stupak amendment and Maria Cantwell’s Basic Health Plan are just a few off the top of my head. But these are among the most important issues. read more

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    p>Whose Interests is the White House Representing in the Senate-House Health Reform Conference?

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