Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

The Health Care Heat is On, Pt.3 – On the move.

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According to yesterday’s Washington Post -- ‘The Trail article, written by Perry Bacon, the movers are already banding together to “make health insurance a major issue in the campaign.” A coalition has formed and is committing $40 million to make this happen. The coalition is comprised of major labor union entities like the Service Employees International Union and strong activist groups like MoveOn.org. Having joined up for the health insurance/care cause at the onset, it is not surprising that, both Elizabeth Edwards and husband John Edwards will be among the group’s top spokespeople. The coalition goes by the name of "Health Care for America Now!" Right now, the plan is to solicit the battleground states. They want to cover 45 states to enlist petitioners to press all of Congress to pledge support for the expansion of health insurance to cover all Americans.

At the same time the Democratic staffers on Capitol Hill are in a move to pass a version of health insurance/care in Congress by next year. Some of the senators like the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and, of course the head of the Senate's Health, Education Pensions and Labor Committee, Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) are actively pursuing discussions with key experts of the health insurance/care industries. Since Massachusetts has pioneered such a successful model over the last two years, experts from that state will carry a lot of weight.

These senator teams are scheduling several meetings for the next month with key health insurance/care players. Among these are ‘doctors' groups, insurance companies, business associations’ as well as others of expertise and influence, quoting the Post’s article.

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