Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Will Obama Health Care Prevail?, Pt.8 – Uniting the ‘powers that be’.

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Ms. Rowland notes that many of the players already have ideas of their own on what the health insurance package should look like.  Success is much more likely with big players on board in support.  Some of the ‘heavies’ are people like:  Ron Wyden; Ted Kennedy; Orrin Hatch; and Chuck Rangel.  With the strong support of this blend of prominent Democrats and Republicans, the health insurance package that is finally introduced has a much better chance of surviving with any resemblance to the original plan.  The fact is, there are already three different health insurance reform plans circulating around Congress in various forms.

One is a Single-payer health insurance package called “HR 676”.  Even though this plan has more co-sponsors than any other reform bill with tens of thousands around the country already working to enact it, it may not go far.  Given the current climate, universal health insurance may be within stretch, but outrightly controlling medical prices is way out of bounds for most republicans.  Still, there may have some useful components.

Another, health insurance package heralded by Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR is called “the Healthy Americans Act”.  It boasts 16 co-sponsors, 8 Democrats, 8 Republicans.  One key ‘champion’ of the plan is the ranking Republican in the powerful Finance Committee, Chuck Grassley.

This plan contains a mandate which would force every working person in the country to pay for health insurance out of their income tax.  Initially began as a skeleton for rapid deployment after the election, this plan will almost certainly play an important part in the formation of any plan to survive Congress.

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