Finance Committee Releases Health Care Bill
September 14, 2009
Senate Finance Committee chairman, Max Baucus (D-Mont.), introduced “America’s Health Future Act” on Wednesday, September 16. The bill was introduced with no Republican backing but Chairman Baucus stated that he would continue to negotiate in hopes of garnering bi-partisan support.
The Baucus proposal would require all individuals to have health insurance, provide subsidies to help middle- and lower-income people afford private coverage, and set up marketplaces for individuals and small businesses to buy insurance at competitive rates.
Additionally the proposal would:
Prohibit health insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions
Prohibits health insurers from placing yearly or lifetime limits on coverage
Replace the scheduled 21.5 percent physician fee cut with a one year 0.5 percent increase in 2010
Create incentives for health care providers to improve quality by using safer, more cost effective health technology like electronic medical records
Provide a 10 percent payment bonus to primary care providers
Require all physicians to participate in PQRI by 2011 and expand the PQRI bonus through 2012
In order to pay for these reforms, the proposal would:
Tax high premium health care plans
Limit FSA contributions to $2,000 per year beginning in 2013
Impose fees (beginning in 2010) on pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device manufacturers, health insurance providers and independent clinical labs
Impose a 0.5 percent physician fee cut to all non-primary care providers
The Finance Committee will begin its mark-up session the week of September 21. The committee will merge its bill with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill prior to a full Senate floor vote.
