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House passes health care reform bill
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In a rare weekend vote, members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill that was approved by the Senate in December.
The House voted 219 to 212 in favor of H.R. 3590 with the final vote falling along party lines.
Significant changes
The measure, expected to be signed into law as soon as Tuesday by President Barack Obama, offers some of the most significant changes to the U.S. health care system in history. The bill extends insurance to approximately 32 million people who are currently uninsured, imposes penalties on individuals who do not carry insurance, expands Medicaid services, cuts some aspects of Medicare and eliminates the Medicare “doughnut hole,” which currently suspends a recipient’s compensation after plan expenditures reach a designated cap amount but then kicks in again when the individual reaches a second, higher benchmark through total out-of-pocket expenses.
A separate package passed by the House proposing changes to the earlier bill will now be sent back to the Senate for final approval. If passed, the second measure would tack an additional $65 billion in spending to the $875 billion health care reform bill.
However, White House officials have stated that the reform bill will lower the federal deficit by about $118 billion in the first decade, with the additional measures passed by the House reducing the deficit by an additional $25 billion. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the reform measure should further reduce the deficit by $1 trillion in the second decade.
Reaction
The American Medical Association (AMA) President, J. James Rohack, MD, called the vote an important step forward, but also said that Congress should continue to explore additional changes to the health care system.
“We will be relentless in our pursuit of permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula, corrections to [Independent Payment Advisory Board], medical liability reform and other important actions,” Rohack stated in an AMA press release.
According to an e-mail from the North American Spine Society’s (NASS) publication on government affairs, the group opposed measures in the bill that would establish an independent payment advisory board and broaden the government’s role in selecting quality of care standards. The organization also noted that the bill failed to repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.
“While NASS is strongly supportive of efforts to increase access to specialty care, health care reform must be done the right way,” the group stated in the e-mail. “NASS Advocacy will continue to work with Congress to address the issues above and to ensure that patients have access to the specialty care they require.”
The President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), Karen Ignagni noted the significance of the bill, but also highlighted concerns regarding the legislation.
“The access expansions are a significant step forward, but this legislation will exacerbate the health care costs crisis facing many working families and small businesses,” she stated in a press release.
- References:
www.ama-assn.org
www.cbo.gov
www.speaker.gov
www.spine.org
