Senate to Provide Alternative Health Care Reform Proposal
Senate negotiations on the health care reform proposal have taken an interesting twist. Liberal and moderate Democrats appointed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are reported to have produced an alternative take to H.R. 3590, the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act."
Highlights of the proposal include:
- 55-64 year olds without access to employer-sponsored insurance will be allowed into Medicare
- National plans currently offered by private insurers and managed by the federal Office of Personnel Management will be available to individuals on the health insurance exchange.
- A public option to be triggered if private companies do not deliver national insurance acceptable to Washington legislators
More details are unavailable at this time; the proposal will be released after review by the Congressional Budget Office. Critics of H.R. 3590 have suggested that the current incarnation of health care reform was a thinly-disguised attempt at creating a nationalized health system. This last-minute bill suggests that many legislators have indeed had that in mind.
Source: AMA Health System Reform Bulletin; Dec. 9, 2009
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