Tag: Health Care Reform

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).

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) .

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.

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.

House Democrats Introduce “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009″

House Democrats introduced their proposal for health care reform this afternoon (July 14, 2009), the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (the “House Bill”). Democrat leaders have announced plans to fast track the House Bill to a vote by the end of July. See a high level summary of certain core provisions in the House Bill, as described by House Democrats in connection with their release of the proposal.

Health Care Reform Proposals Backed By Bipartisian Group of Former Senators Enjoys Widespread Initial Support In Senate

Health care reform proposals outlined in the Crossing Out Lines: Working Together to Reform the U.S. Health System Report released by Bipartisian Policy Center advisors and former Senators Howard Baker (R-TN), Tom Daschle (D-IA) and Bob Dole (R-KS) appears to enjoys significant support among many members of Congress as an alternative to the comprehensive health care reform proposals contained in the “Affordable Health Choices Act” (the “Kennedy Bill”) supported by Senator Edward M. Kennedy. As the health care reform rages among members of Congress, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) chaired by Senator Kennedy continues its mark up of the Kennedy Bill.