03/11/2010
Yesterday, the Senate voted 62-36 to approve a $140 billion jobs bill that would avert scheduled cuts to Medicare reimbursements for physicians. The bill also would extend subsidies for COBRA coverage and offer funds to states through Medicaid. Washington Post, The Hill.
03/11/2010
At a forum for America's Health Insurance Plans, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said failure to pass health reform legislation could hurt the insurance industry in the long term. She also reiterated a call for more transparency on premium hikes. Wall Street Journal et al.
03/10/2010
This week, President Obama is expected to authorize more federal agencies and health care programs to contract private companies to conduct audits. The directive is part of a broader effort to combat fraud in federal programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Wall Street Journal.
03/10/2010
Yesterday, the Senate invoked cloture to advance a jobs bill to a final vote scheduled for today. The bill includes provisions that would avert cuts to Medicare physician reimbursements and extend temporary aid to state Medicaid programs. CQ Today, Congress Daily.
03/10/2010
Democratic lawmakers are developing a strategy to move forward on their two-part approach to pass health care reform legislation. The second step of the process would use a "corrections" measure to make House-favored changes to the Senate legislation. CQ Today et al.
03/10/2010
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "is in charge" of lining up the votes to pass the Senate's health care reform bill and should "seize this moment" to show voters that Democrats can approve health care reform, according to an editorial. The editorial argues, "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and it is worth losing an election over." Sacramento Bee.
03/09/2010
State insurance officials say President Obama's plan to establish a federal Health Insurance Rate Authority could force states to focus solely on ensuring the solvency of health insurers while the federal agency attempts to hold down premiums. New York Times.
03/09/2010
Yesterday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent a letter calling for major health insurance companies to post rate information and financial data online. The letter reiterates Sebelius' earlier requests for greater transparency on premium hikes. Politico's "Live Pulse" et al.
03/09/2010
During a speech yesterday near Philadelphia, President Obama criticized health insurers for recent premium hikes and encouraged voters to express their support for health care reform legislation. Obama is expected to reprise his speech in St. Louis tomorrow. Washington Post et al.
03/08/2010
The Washington Post's "Topic A" asked former congressional leaders and political analysts to weigh in on the chances of the House of Representatives approving Democratic health care reform legislation. A number of the contributors say the bill's chances will come down to how Democratic members see the vote affecting their prospects for re-election in November. Washington Post.
03/08/2010
This week, the Virginia Legislature is expected to approve final legislation indicating that individuals cannot be required to have health insurance coverage, setting the stage for a constitutional showdown over the individual mandate in Democratic national health care reform proposals. Virginia would be the first state to enact such a bill. Boston Globe.
03/08/2010
President Obama and congressional Democrats are pointing to Anthem Blue Cross of California's planned premium increases as an example of the urgency of national health care reform. Anthem's announcement of the cuts has sparked congressional hearings and an HHS summit. Los Angeles Times.
03/08/2010
This week, President Obama is scheduled to travel to Philadelphia and St. Louis in an effort to generate public support for health care reform legislation and encourage lawmakers to cast a final vote. Recent polls show that public support for reform might be growing. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
03/05/2010
Yesterday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius met with the executives of five major insurance companies and asked them to justify recent premium hikes for individual policyholders. Sebelius called for the insurers to post information about their rates online. CQ HealthBeat et al.
03/05/2010
Yesterday, President Obama invited a group of liberal House Democrats and a group of centrist lawmakers to the White House as part of his efforts to lobby for health care reform. Meanwhile, officials said the House is on track to pass a reform bill this month. CQ Today et al.