Health care reform: what are the next steps?
Advocates of health care reform were thrilled to see a bill pass the Senate on Christmas Eve. Critics of reform had been pessimistic about whether or not senators would vote before the end of the session. But now that legislation has come this far, what are the next steps?
In the coming weeks legislators will return to work in Washington. Members of the House and Senate will need to work together to iron out differences in the two plans. Major issues separating the House version and the Senate version include:
- Public Option. The bill passed by the House of Representatives calls for a health insurance plan to be provided by the federal government for those who are not insured by private sources. This much debated feature was cut from the Senate version.
- Tax Increases. According to a report by CNN, the House plan pays for “health care reform with a 5.4 percent surtax on incomes for those making more than $500,000 a year, as well as families earning more than $1 million. It also includes a 2.5 percent tax on medical devices sold in the United States. The Senate plan increases the Medicare payroll tax on individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples earning more than $250,000 from the current 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent. The Senate bill also imposes a new tax on insurers that provide so-called Cadillac health plans valued at more than $8,500 for individuals and $23,000 for families.”
- Abortion Funding. The health care reform discussion raises concern from both sides of the abortion debate about federal funding of several procedures.
Agencies such as the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network are working to advocate for cancer patients, survivors and those who have lost their financial security because they’ve had to pay for treatment. Stay informed or help their cause by visiting ACSCAN.org.
Read more about health care reform:
CNN: Differences Remain Over what health care bill looks like
New York Times Blog: Comparing the House and Senate Health Care Bills
