Pol.PeanutButterNews.com

Do they really know what they are going to vote on,because of the push just to pass the bill? I don’t think any one know what is totally in the bill. We may need health insurance reform now,but is it going to fit the needs of the American people.
Full Story at CNN.com

Strongsville, Ohio (CNN) — The yearlong fight over health care reached a fever pitch Monday as President Obama took his call for change to the political swing state of Ohio, slamming insurance companies and repeating his call for a final congressional vote on his sweeping reform plan.

The president’s push came as the House of Representatives prepared for an expected vote this week on the roughly $875 billion bill passed by the Senate in December. Rep. James Clyburn, the Democrat and House majority whip from South Carolina, told CNN Monday he was “very comfortable” that the votes to pass the Senate bill in the House were there.

Full Story at msnbc.com

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama accused insurance companies of placing profits over people and said Republicans ignored long-festering problems when they held power as he sought to build support Monday for swift passage of legislation stalled in Congress.

“Let’s seize reform, the need is great,” Obama said at an appearance that had the feel of a campaign rally.

“How much higher do premiums have to rise before we do something about it?” said Obama, making the first in an expected string of out-of-town trips to pitch his plan to remake the health care system.

Full Story at CNN.com

Washington (CNN) — The Obama administration raised the stakes in the health care debate Monday, releasing a new blueprint that seeks to bridge the gap between measures passed by the Senate and House of Representatives last year.

If enacted, the president’s sweeping compromise plan would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago. The White House said it would extend coverage to 31 million Americans.

Full Story at msnbc.com

WASHINGTON – President Obama will propose on Monday giving the federal government new power to block excessive rate increases by health insurance companies, as he rolls out comprehensive legislation to revamp the nation’s health care system, White House officials said.

The president’s legislation aims to bridge differences between the bills adopted by the House and Senate late last year, and to frame his debate with Republicans over health policy at a televised “summit” meeting on Thursday.

Full Story at msnbc.com

WASHINGTON – Senior House Democrats have largely abandoned hopes of including a government-run insurance option in the final compromise health care bill taking shape, according to several officials, and are pushing for other measures to rein in private insurers.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other senior Democrats told President Barack Obama in recent meetings they want the legislation to strip the insurance industry of a long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws, officials said.

Full Story at CNN.com

Arguments over the massive overhaul of the health care system — which congressional Democrats hope to pass by next month — are expected to keep shaking up the country long after the vote.

Congress’ plan could be the first legislation of its kind passed along strict partisan lines. In modern history, legislation of such scope — including Social Security in 1935 and Medicare in 1965 — has had at least some support from the opposition.

Full Story at CBS News

It was his umpteenth health care deadline and the Senate finally helped President Obama avoid a big lump of coal in his legislative Christmas stocking.

It took until the morning of Christmas eve – on the 339th day of his presidency – for him to finally get health care bills out of both chambers of Congress.

He had hoped this process would have been completed over the summer, but the calendar takes a backseat to his determination to see his top domestic agenda item enacted into law early in the new year.

But now comes the really hard part. He’s got to push the House and Senate to reconcile the difference between their separate measures

Full Story at msnbc.com

WASHINGTON – How many Americans will get subsidized medical coverage — plus who will pay for it — will be front-burner issues when Congress returns next month to complete President Barack Obama’s health care remake.

Pocketbook concerns join abortion and whether Uncle Sam should peddle insurance as the top bones of contention for negotiators who must resolve difference between the House and Senate bills.

Full Story atmoney.cnn.com

That growth rate is what drives federal spending on Medicare and other federal health programs.

And it’s what budget experts say will pummel the federal budget in future years if nothing is done to change it.

So how would the Senate bill fare in bending the cost curve from the perspective of the federal budget? The short answer is the ever-unsatisfying “it depends.”

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could over time reduce the federal budget commitment to health care – that’s spending on programs like Medicare plus the amount of health-related federal tax breaks.

Full Story at CNN.com

Washington (CNN) — After hearing concerns from patient advocates, the White House on Friday said it is looking to close a loophole in the Senate health care bill that would allow caps on annual insurance benefits.

“The president has made it clear that health insurance reform legislation should prevent insurance companies from placing annual limits on health expenditures that can force families into financial ruin,” said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin. “We will continue to work with Congress on this policy.”

The loophole in the Senate bill reversed a previous version of the plan that would have prevented insurance companies from establishing such limits, according to three Democratic aides who spoke to CNN earlier Friday.