Monthly Archives: December 2009

Here is an updated version of the ITUP Health Reform Comparison Matrix, which includes the new CBO scores for both the House and Senate bills as well as the Senate Manager’s Amendment. There are also reports that the Senator Menendez (D-NJ) amendment (which never made it to the floor) has… more

…three votes to go. Late last night, the Senate voted along party lines (60-40) to break a Republican filibuster and limit debate on the Manager’s Amendment. Below you can find some important resources on the legislation including: Highlights of the Manager’s Amendment (pdf) The Manager’s Amendment (full text) CBO Score… more

Despite the disappointment of many progressives as a result of the public option’s death, it is important to understand that the current bill still holds true to its core values, and is a significant improvement over the Finance Committee’s draft (and still must eventually merge with the House bill). The… more

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a collection of the planet’s most developed 30 countries, released their annual Health at a Glance Report last week. The report compares a number of measures of health between countries, including outcomes, quality and expenditure. The highlights for the United States remain… more

Senator Lieberman has now expressed support for the Senate health reform bill with the removal of the Medicare buy-in, though Ben Nelson is still not officially on board. Some of the issues he raises as problematic are: Medicare Advantage reductions, the CLASS act provision, and abortion language. Look for Senators… more

The White House Council of Economic Advisers released their Economic Case for Health Care Reform Update today, presenting new findings from the Congressional proposals. The report finds that: -Taken together, the combination of Medicare- and Medicaid-related provisions in the Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are estimated to reduce… more

Three amendments to be offered by Senators Wyden (D-Oregon) and Collins (R-Maine) after the 4-5 day break waiting on the CBO score: -Wyden’s Free Choice Amendment, which allows employers qualified to purchase insurance through the Exchange to be able to give employees vouchers to instead purchase their OWN plan (as… more