health care by Cynthia Marcotte Stamer

Guaranteed Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009 (HR 4020) Would Help States Establish Risk Pools To Expand Coverage

As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed forward with plans for House members to vote on the House Democratic Leadership’s proposed health care reform package, Congressman Michael Burgess (R-Tx), a physician, on November 4 introduced a much shorted health care reform proposal, the Guaranteed Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009 (HR 4020).

health care by Cynthia Marcotte Stamer

Get It From The Source: Read The Actual Health Care Reform Bill Proposed By The Senate Finance Committee

Americans finally have a chance to read the actual statutory language of the painfully negotiated package of proposed health care reforms that the Senate Finance Committee proposes for adoption. The Senate Finance Committee has posted the 1506 page long text of the proposed statutory language of its “America’s Healthy Future Act” on its website

health care by Cynthia Marcotte Stamer

Baucus’ America’s Health Future Act of 2009 Calls For Significant Tightening of Tax Exemption Rules

With Senate Finance Committee meetings to mark up Chairman Max Baucus’ health care reform proposal as outlined in his 220-page “Chairman’s Mark of America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009” (the “Baucus Proposal”) scheduled to begin tomorrow (September 22, 2009), tax-exempt health care and other non-profit organizations should evaluate carefully proposed amendments that would amend or repeal the rebuttable presumption rule applicable to non-profits when defending Internal Revenue Service challenges to compensation reasonability, to grant sweeping new audit and oversight powers to the Internal Revenue Service, to tighten substantially tax-exemption requirements for charitable hospitals, and other amendments impacting their tax-exempt status or related obligations in addition to the widely-discussed proposal to create “Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs) .

health care by Cynthia Marcotte Stamer

New Study Shares Data On Migrant Health Care Challenges Along The Border

Health care costs, care concerns and other health care utilization and risk patterns are a common issue of discussion in the continuing health care reform discussion. Meanwhile, employers, health care providers, and policy leaders in Border States or elsewhere who employ a significant number of migrant workers frequently express interest in more information about the health care and disability care and benefit needs, understanding and utilization patterns of migrant families for purposes of planning benefit and human resources practices. A new report published by the Texas Department of State Health Services may shed some light on these issues.

health care by Cynthia Marcotte Stamer

House Leaders Plan To Work Out Differences In 3 Versions of Health Care Reform Legislation Passed By Key Committees During Recess

Democratic Leaders in the House of Representatives plan to hammer out differences three versions of the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) as separately passed by three key House Committees in July before House members return from their August recess in hopes of bringing the agreed to version of H.R. 3200 to the full house in September. Learn where to review different versions passed by these Committees here.

health care by Cynthia Marcotte Stamer

Blue Dog Democrats Hold Key Voice On House Democrats Proposed Health Care Reform Plan; Contact Numbers Here

Health care providers and others seeking to get their input on the “American’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009” health care reform proposal introduced by the House Democratic Leadership should target their input to the “Blue Dog Democrats” in the House. Read about Blue Dog Democrats and how you can contact them here.

The fiscal conservatism of Blue Dog Democrats makes them more likely to listen to concerns about the cost and other concerns relating to the health care reform bills touted by the Democrat Leadership in the House and Senate. In fact, many Blue Dog Democrats already are speaking out about their concerns about the cost and other aspects of the Bill.