Below is a healthcare reform update from NAHU…
CBO Says Health Bill Would Reduce Deficit (Are they really serious?).
As Democrats unveiled their final bill, a new CBO report is being cast as boosting their chances of convincing wavering moderates to back the measure. NBC Nightly News (3/18, lead story, 3:00, O’Donnell), for example, said that “some Democrats use the word ‘giddy’ to describe their reaction when they got the cost estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.” The Los Angeles Times (3/19, Levey, Muskal) notes that the “giddy” description came from Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC). USA Today (3/19, Wolf), meanwhile, reports that Speaker Pelosi said of the CBO estimate, “I love numbers. … We feel very strong about where we are.”
ABC World News (3/18, lead story, 3:40, Karl) noted that according to the CBO analysis, the bill will cost “$940 billion over ten years. It’s paid for with more than $400 billion in new taxes, including taxes on insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, and a hike in Medicare taxes for the wealthy. And more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare spending, much of it to the Medicare advantage program, which pays for private insurance coverage for seniors. The net result? The deficit comes down by more than $130 billion over ten years.”
But, the Washington Times (3/19, Rowland) notes that “Republicans argued that the CBO analysis is only preliminary and also projects roughly $1 trillion in expanded entitlement spending.” Another Washington Times (3/19, Haberkorn) story also reports that “Republicans are skeptical that any reform plan this large could reduce the deficit and prompt savings.”
Under the headline “Fine-Tuning Led To Health Bill’s $940 Billion Price Tag,” the New York Times (3/19, A16, Herszenhorn) asks, “How did the numbers come out just right? Not by accident.” The Democratic Party “consulted repeatedly with its number-crunchers and the bipartisan staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation. In other words, the overall numbers were never going to miss the mark.” Politico (3/19, O’Connor, Brown) also reports, “Democrats wrangled for days with the CBO to get the numbers within their targets.”
In a front-page analysis, the Washington Post (3/19, A1, Irwin) notes that “as much as the 25-page ‘score’ of the legislation was treated as holy writ in Washington — Democrats eagerly flagged its conclusion that the package they aim to pass this weekend would cut the deficit by $138 billion over the coming decade — the reality is considerably messier.” The Post adds that CBO estimates are “more art than science, and although the forecasts that accompany legislation are always filled with uncertainty, this one contains more than most.”
Democrats Gain Ground In Effort For 216 Healthcare Votes.
Media reports on the House vote on healthcare reform generally portray the White House and Democratic leaders as gaining ground. Even as they caution that the tally remains fluid and the votes are not yet there for the President’s plan, the consensus in much of the coverage is that the bill will pass this weekend. The New York Times (3/19, Zeleny) reports that “with momentum steadily building to a Sunday vote, the party leaders are also beginning to decide which politically endangered lawmakers will be given absolution to vote no.” While “there are…very few votes to spare,” adds the Times, “there are some. And even most Republican leaders concede that the mystery is not so much whether Democrats will reach the magic number of 216, but rather whose names will be included as yes votes in the final count.”
ABC World News (3/18, lead story, 3:40, Karl) reported, “Just in the last few hours, we’ve had the Democrats pick up two critical yes votes, and lose one vote they thought they already had, so, here is where we are now. The magic number, of course, 216. Need it to pass or defeat the bill. And by count, we are already at 209 either no or leaning no. Democratic vote counters tell me they have at least 208 in the yes camp, leaving a maximum universe of 14 members who are undecided, and that is where the battle is now. … Democratic leaders still don’t have the votes they need, but there is no turning back now.” Politico (3/19, Lee) also reports that “House leaders say they’re still short of the 216 votes needed to pass reform in the House.”
USA Today (3/19, Wolf) reports that “several Democrats who voted against the House healthcare package in November said they would support the new version, including Reps. Betsy Markey of Colorado and Bart Gordon of Tennessee. The vote remained in doubt, however, as the number of undecided House Democrats grew shorter.” But overall, the Washington Times (3/19, Curl) reports, “on Thursday, Capitol Hill Democrats smiled. A lot.”
McClatchy (3/19, Lightman, Talev, Douglas) reports, “Though they appeared still short of the votes they need, House Democratic leaders were increasingly confident that they’ll triumph.” The AP (3/19, Espo) similarly reports that the votes are “not yet secured,” but Thursday, “support for the legislation appeared to be growing.”
The New York Times (3/19, A1, Pear, Herszenhorn), the Washington Post (3/19, Kane, Montgomery), the Washington Times (3/19, Weber), Politico (3/19, O’Connor), Bloomberg News (3/19, Litvan, Rowley), and the Wall Street Journal (3/19, Hitt, Adamy, subscription required) also cover the story.
Republicans Ponder Tactics To Derail Bill In The Senate.
The CBS Evening News (3/18, lead story, 4:15, Cordes) reported, “If the House passes the bill on Sunday, the Senate would take it up next week, but there Republicans have even more powerful stalling tactics at their disposal. … For starters, they’re technically allowed to offer unlimited amendments, and if even one of those amendments passes, then that changes the language of the bill, meaning the bill would have to go back to the House for another vote and that’s something the Democrats are desperate to avoid.”
Politico (3/19, Brown, Raju) reports that GOP senators “have been plotting for months to sentence it to a painful procedural death.” The Post adds that “under a strategy developed by Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Thune of South Dakota and Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Republicans are plotting ways to strike major elements of the reconciliation bill, including changes to the special Medicaid deal for Nebraska and the carve-out for Florida senior citizens from Medicaid Advantage cuts. They are also going small bore, looking to strike seemingly minor provisions, including one that would fix language dealing with the employer mandate and the construction industry.” According to “one senior Republican aide…as much as 40 percent of the measure can be killed through procedural objections.”
Meanwhile, USA Today (3/19, Kiely) reports that “Democratic senators are working to assure House colleagues that the Republican strategy won’t work.”
Missouri Senate Approves Bill To Require Health Insurance Coverage For Autism Treatment.
The AP (3/19, Wire) reports that on March 18, “Missouri senators voted” 26 to 6 “to require some health insurance plans to cover treatment for autism.” Specifically, the measure “would require group insurance policies regulated by the state to provide up to $55,000 annually for behavioral treatment until age 21.” The AP adds that “increased premiums as a result of the autism insurance mandate are expected to cost Missouri $1.7 million for people on the state employee healthcare plan.”
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