What a Bipartisan Bill May Look Like.... if we get one at all

Insuring Resources Commentary:
Below is a link to a New York Times article depicting possible items included in a health care reform package. In this NY Times reporter's analysis of conversations with lawmakers, aides and health care policy experts he compiled these items as still doable in the post Super-majority Democratic Senate health care reform era. His list is similar to the blog post I provided a few days ago so you get the benefit of my analysis of what's possible again.

Here's my further analysis of these items:

-No pre-x for children makes sense, this probably has 85-90% support in both houses and would be agreed to easily in any health care bill.

-Dependent coverage up to age 25 is also a given. Wisconsin just approved this in 2009, effective 1/1/2010 for ages up to 27. This too would have substantial bi-partisan support.

-Grants to establish state-based health insurance exchanges for individuals and small businesses. This probably would pass both houses as it would most likely not be mandated for businesses or individuals. This could help alleviate some cost pressures for these groups. If a wide range of coverage options were offered through the Exchanges and states were encouraged to be innovative this could be very positive.

-The fed. gov't offer financial incentives for state Medicaid expansion to cover childless adults and parents. Wisconsin, with its BadgerCare program and other states who have already done this, would not be happy about this measure. In those cases perhaps there can be adjustments or bonuses to state's who go above and beyond the minimum or who have already accomplished it. This too has broad bipartisan support as long as Nebraska doesn't get its Cornhusker Kickback. Special deals cannot be a part of a compromise bill at this point. The public backlash would be too enormous.

-Tax credits for small business purchase of health insurance-- This is very bi-partisan friendly as most GOP health care proposals, including those offered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) and Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), were centered on tax credit use to purchase health insurance.
This would perhaps get more GOP than Dems supporting it and would pass both houses.

For a lengthy analysis I authored of the Paul Ryan proposal for WPRI
2 years ago go to the web link at the upper left hand sidebar.


-The package could also include changes in Medicare, to reduce the growth in payments to doctors and hospitals while rewarding providers of high-quality, lower-cost care. To help older Americans, it could narrow a gap in Medicare coverage of prescription drugs, sometimes known as a doughnut hole. I don't understand why again the incentives only apply to Medicare for high quality, more efficient care. I just don't get why Congress is so reluctant to address the whole system rather than just Medicare. If they're going to make regulatory changes why sell it short and stop only at Medicare rather than addressing the whole system and the whole cost problem.


See link below to read the whole article
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From the New York Times article
"A New Search for Consensus on Health Care Bill"
The entire article linked: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/health/policy/22health.html?ref=todayspaper

By ROBERT PEAR and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Published: January 21, 2010