Health Care Reform Update - 12/21/2009

The Senate took a major step forward in passing health care reform legislation. Over the weekend, Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) agreed to support the bill after language was included to allow states to opt out of allowing insurance plans to cover abortions, providing the critical 60^th vote.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, the senate voted 60-40 at 1:00 this morning to close debate on the “Manager’s Amendment.”

The Senate must approve two more cloture petitions shutting off debate on the base bill and the underlying House-passed bill serving as the vehicle for the base bill before a final vote can occur in the Senate on the overhaul proposal.

The second cloture vote is scheduled for 7 a.m. on Tuesday and a third cloture vote if the second one passes is scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m. A vote on final passage of the overhaul bill would then occur Thursday, Dec. 24 at 7 p.m.

The Senate’s bill would provide insurance coverage to 30 million Americans who are currently uninsured, and would cost $871 billion.

Community Health Centers are big winners in the current version of the Senate bill. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) was successful in having $10 billion set aside to supplement Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps. According to the Burlington Free Press, this would fund CHCs in 10,000 new communities, providing services to 25 million more Americans. The investment also provide an additional 20,000 slots for the National Health Service Corps, helping to ensure a growing base of primary care professionals (Remsen, 12/20/2009).

In a press release posted on her website, Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln expressed her support for the revised Senate health care plan “because it will lower heath care costs, expand access to more than 400,000 uninsured Arkansans, and reduce the deficit by $132 billion in the next 10 years—all without a new government plan that places taxpayers at risk.”

According to an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the bill also includes an expansion of Medicaid that would provide coverage to over 200,000 Arkansans who would become eligible under the new guidelines (Medicaid Plan Adds To Debate, Park, 12/21/2009).