The Political Bridge

Democrats Say Final Health Bill Will Look Like the Senate’s Version

 
Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Any health-care legislation that reaches President Barack Obama’s desk will be close to the version the Senate passed last week, top Democrats said yesterday. Bloomberg's Peter Cook reports.

To watch the accompanying video to this story, click the url below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5bIohAqK9M

The Senate Kills Sanders' Single-Payer Amendment; The Obama Plan Moves Towards Passage

 The Sanders’ single-payer amendment died Wednesday night in the Senate. Senator Sanders of Vermont vowed it will return when the realization dawns that private insurance companies "are no longer needed."

The proposal's demise came as Senate Democratic leaders and the White House sought agreement with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., to become the 60th supporter of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul - the number needed to overcome a Republican filibuster.

Information from AP

What is and What is Not Including in the New Jobs Bill

The measure includes funds for:

· Medicaid programs(approximately $23 billion to the States)

· Amtrak construction

· school renovation

· job training

· part-time college jobs

· summer employment for low-income teenagers

· workers in national parks and forests

· very poor people with as little as no income to claim a $1,000-per-child tax credit 

· federal surface transportation programs

 This measure does include (as promised by President Obama) funds to give:

· Social Security recipients $250 payments,

·  tax credits for small businesses that create jobs

· tax credits to people who make their homes more energy efficient

 

Information from the AP

The Kansas City Star: Congress May Temporarily Extend Three Controversial Patriot Act Provisions

 Congress may turn to temporary extensions (of three controversial Patriot Act provisions) because of the pressure to pass health care legislation and complete other legislative business before going home.

These provisions consist of:

· allowing the federal government to collect business, credit card and even library  records of national security targets.

· using roving wiretaps to keep tabs on suspects who try to avoid detection by repeatedly changing cell phone numbers.

· tracking individuals who may be working on behalf of foreign governments or terrorist groups.

 

Read More Click Patriot Act

Final Tally of the House Vote on H.R. 4213: Tax Extenders Act of 2009

    (Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)
  H R 4213   RECORDED VOTE   9-Dec-2009   3:17 PM
  QUESTION:  On Passage
  BILL TITLE: Tax Extenders Act of 2009

	Ayes	Noes	PRES	NV
Democratic	239	10		8
Republican	2	171		4
Independent
TOTALS	241	181		12

---- AYES 241 ---

Abercrombie Ackerman Adler (NJ) Altmire Andrews Arcuri Baca Baird Barrow Becerra Berkley Berman Berry Bishop (GA) Bishop (NY) Blumenauer Boccieri Boren Boswell Boucher Boyd Brady (PA) Braley (IA) Bright Brown, Corrine Butterfield Cao Capps Capuano Cardoza Carnahan Carney Carson (IN) Castor (FL) Chandler Childers Chu Clarke Clay Cleaver Clyburn Cohen Connolly (VA) Conyers Cooper Costa Costello Courtney Crowley Cuellar Cummings Dahlkemper Davis (AL) Davis (CA) Davis (IL) Davis (TN) DeFazio DeGette Delahunt DeLauro Dicks Dingell Doggett Donnelly (IN) Doyle Driehaus Edwards (MD) Edwards (TX) Ellison Ellsworth Engel Eshoo Etheridge Farr Fattah Filner Foster Frank (MA) Garamendi Giffords Gonzalez

Gordon (TN) Grayson Green, Al Green, Gene Griffith Grijalva Gutierrez Hall (NY) Halvorson Hare Harman Hastings (FL) Heinrich Herseth Sandlin Higgins Hill Hinojosa Hirono Hodes Holden Holt Honda Hoyer Inslee Israel Jackson (IL) Jackson-Lee (TX) Johnson (GA) Johnson, E. B. Jones Kagen Kanjorski Kennedy Kildee Kilpatrick (MI) Kilroy Kind Kirkpatrick (AZ) Kissell Kosmas Kratovil Kucinich Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Lee (CA) Levin Lipinski Loebsack Lofgren, Zoe Lowey Luján Lynch Maloney Markey (CO) Markey (MA) Marshall Massa Matheson Matsui McCarthy (NY) McCollum McDermott McGovern McIntyre McMahon McNerney Meek (FL) Meeks (NY) Melancon Michaud Miller (NC) Miller, George Minnick Mollohan Moore (KS) Moore (WI) Murphy (CT) Murphy (NY) Murphy, Patrick Nadler (NY)

Napolitano Neal (MA) Nye Oberstar Obey Olver Ortiz Owens Pallone Pascrell Pastor (AZ) Payne Perlmutter Perriello Peters Peterson Pingree (ME) Pomeroy Price (NC) Quigley Rahall Rangel Reyes Richardson Rodriguez Ross Rothman (NJ) Roybal-Allard Ruppersberger Rush Ryan (OH) Salazar Sánchez, Linda T. Sarbanes Schakowsky Schauer Schiff Schwartz Scott (GA) Scott (VA) Serrano Sestak Shea-Porter Sherman Shuler Sires Skelton Slaughter Snyder Space Speier Spratt Stark Stupak Sutton Tanner Teague Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Tierney Titus Tonko Towns Tsongas Van Hollen Velázquez Visclosky Walz Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Watt Waxman Weiner Welch Wilson (OH) Woolsey Wu Yarmuth

---- NOES 181 ---

Aderholt Akin Alexander Austria Bachmann Bachus Bartlett Barton (TX) Bean Biggert Bilbray Bilirakis Bishop (UT) Blackburn Blunt Boehner Bonner Bono Mack Boozman Boustany Brady (TX) Broun (GA) Brown (SC) Brown-Waite, Ginny Buchanan Burgess Burton (IN) Buyer Calvert Camp Campbell Cantor Capito Cassidy Castle Chaffetz Coble Coffman (CO) Cole Conaway Crenshaw Culberson Davis (KY) Deal (GA) Dent Diaz-Balart, L. Diaz-Balart, M. Dreier Duncan Ehlers Emerson Fallin Flake Fleming Forbes Fortenberry Foxx Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Gallegly Garrett (NJ)

Gerlach Gingrey (GA) Gohmert Goodlatte Graves Guthrie Hall (TX) Harper Hastings (WA) Heller Hensarling Herger Himes Hoekstra Hunter Inglis Issa Jenkins Johnson (IL) Johnson, Sam Jordan (OH) King (IA) King (NY) Kingston Kirk Klein (FL) Kline (MN) Lamborn Lance Latham LaTourette Latta Lee (NY) Lewis (CA) Linder LoBiondo Lucas Luetkemeyer Lummis Lungren, Daniel E. Mack Maffei Manzullo Marchant McCarthy (CA) McCaul McClintock McCotter McHenry McKeon McMorris Rodgers Mica Miller (FL) Miller (MI) Miller, Gary Mitchell Moran (KS) Murphy, Tim Myrick Neugebauer Nunes

Olson Paul Paulsen Pence Petri Pitts Platts Poe (TX) Polis (CO) Posey Price (GA) Putnam Rehberg Reichert Roe (TN) Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rogers (MI) Rohrabacher Rooney Ros-Lehtinen Roskam Royce Ryan (WI) Scalise Schmidt Schock Schrader Sensenbrenner Sessions Shadegg Shimkus Shuster Simpson Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (TX) Smith (WA) Souder Stearns Sullivan Taylor Terry Thompson (PA) Thornberry Tiahrt Tiberi Turner Upton Walden Wamp Westmoreland Wexler Whitfield Wilson (SC) Wittman Wolf Young (AK) Young (FL)

---- NOT VOTING 12 ---

Baldwin Barrett (SC) Carter Fudge

Granger Hinchey Kaptur Lewis (GA)

Moran (VA) Murtha Radanovich Sanchez, Loretta

In Case You Missed It: The U.S. House of Representatives has Approved the Tax Extenders Act of 2009

(These extenders mainly consisted of the tax sweeters in last year's bailout; Source: Thomas.Com)

H.R.4213
Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 12/7/2009)  Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.RES.955
Latest Major Action: 12/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

---

SUMMARY AS OF:
12/7/2009--Introduced. (Passed in the House on December 9, 2009 by a 241-181 vote)

Tax Extenders Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2010 certain expiring provisions for individual taxpayers, including: (1) the taxpayer election to deduct state and local general sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes; (2) the standard tax deduction for state and local real property taxes; (3) the tax deduction from gross income for qualified tuition and related expenses; and (4) the tax deduction from gross income for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers.

Extends through 2010 expiring provisions for business taxpayers, including: (1) the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) tax treatment of certain items affecting U.S. shareholders of controlled foreign corporation; (3) accelerated depreciation for qualified leasehold, restaurant, and retail property, for motorsports entertainment complexes, and for farming business machinery and equipment; (4) the tax credit for railroad track maintenance expenditures; (5) the enhanced expensing allowance for certain film and television production costs; (6) expensing of environmental remediation costs; (7) the tax credit for mine rescue team training expenses; (8) the taxpayer election to expense advanced mine safety equipment expenditures; (9) the tax credit for differential wages payments to employees who are active duty members of the Uniformed Services; (10) tax rules relating to regulated investment companies (RICs); and (11) the suspension of the taxable income limitation on percentage depletion for oil and natural gas produced from marginal properties.

Extends through 2010 expiring provisions relating to charitable organizations and contributions, including: (1) the tax deduction for charitable contributions of capital gain real property by individual taxpayers and certain corporate farmers and ranchers for conservation purposes; (2) the enhanced tax deduction for charitable contributions of food inventory and book inventories to public schools and for corporate contributions of computer technology and equipment for educational purposes; (3) penalty-free distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for charitable purposes; and (4) special tax rules for payments to controlling exempt organizations, exclusion of gain or loss from unrelated business taxable income from the sale or exchange of certain brownfield sites, and basis adjustment to stock of S corporations making charitable contributions.

Extends through 2010: (1) the tax credit for employment of members of Indian tribes; (2) accelerated depreciation of property used for business purposes on an Indian reservation; (3) extension of the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities to such activities in Puerto Rico; (4) the limitation on the amount of distilled spirits tax covered (paid over) into the treasuries of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; and (5) the tax credit for American Samoa economic development expenditures.

Extends through 2010 certain provisions relating to community development and assistance, including: (1) tax incentives in empowerment zones and renewal communities; (2) the new markets tax credit; (3) tax incentives for investment in the District of Columbia, the New York Liberty Zone, the Gulf Opportunity Zone, and low-income housing.

Extends through 2010 tax-related disaster relief provisions, including: (1) the tax deduction for personal casualty losses attributable to federally-declared disasters; (2) expensing allowance for cleanup and other expenditures in disaster areas; (3) the five-year extended carryover period for net operating losses incurred in a disaster area; (4) waiver of mortgage revenue bond requirements for refinancing residences damaged or destroyed in a disaster area; and (5) expensing and accelerated depreciation of certain disaster assistance property.

Extends through 2010 energy conservation and production provisions, including: (1) the tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel used as fuel; (2) the alternative motor vehicle tax credit for large hybrid vehicles; (3) the alternative fuel excise tax credit for natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas; and (4) tax rules relating to sales required to implement federal and state restructuring policy for qualified electric utilities.

Revises and adds reporting and other requirements relating to income from assets held abroad, including by: (1) requiring foreign financial and nonfinancial institutions to withhold 30% of payments made to such institutions by U.S. individuals unless such institutions agree to disclose the identity of such individuals and report on their bank transactions; (2) denying a tax deduction for interest on non-registered bonds issued outside the United States; (3) requiring any individual who holds more than $50,000 in a depository or custodial account maintained by a foreign financial institution to report on such accounts; (4) imposing an enhanced tax penalty for underpayments attributable to undisclosed foreign financial assets; (5) extending the limitation period for assessment of underpayments with respect to assets held outside the United States; (6) requiring shareholders of a passive foreign investment company to file informational returns; (7) enhancing tax rules and penalties relating to foreign trusts with U.S. beneficiaries; and (8) requiring withholding of tax on dividend equivalent payments received by foreign individuals.

Sets forth tax rules relating to partnership interests transferred in connection with the performance of services.

Increases by an additional 26.5% the required estimated tax payments for certain large corporations in the third quarter of 2014.

Requires the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation to submit to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee a report on each tax expenditure extended by this Act.

 

Bloomberg Press: Fight Looms Between House and Senate Democrats on Cutting Funds to Medicare Advantage

A fight still looms between House and Senate Democrats(regarding cutes to Medicare Advantage). The House health-care bill contains about $50 billion more in cuts to Medicare Advantage than the Senate. The House plan also would target rural areas for much of the reduction. In the Senate, where Montana’s Max Baucus and other lawmakers from rural states wield more influence, Democrats are looking to cities for savings.

To Read More Click Bloomberg Press

The Congressional Research Services' Summary of S.1796, The America's Healthy Future Act of 2009(The proposed Senate health care bill)

S.1796
Title: An original bill to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 10/19/2009)  Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.R.3200
Latest Major Action: 10/19/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 184.
Senate Reports: 111-89

---

SUMMARY AS OF:
10/19/2009--Introduced.

-America's Healthy Future Act of 2009  Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Health Insurance Coverage) to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable and essential health benefits coverage.

Requires all health benefits plans offered to individuals and employers in the individual and small group market to be qualified health benefits plans (QHBPs).

Prohibits QHBPs from excluding coverage for preexisting conditions, or otherwise limiting or conditioning coverage based on any health status-related factors.

Requires QHBPs to offer coverage in the individual and small group markets on a guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewal basis.

Requires states to: (1) establish rating areas; (2) adopt a specified risk adjustment model; and (3) establish transitional reinsurance programs for individual markets.

Requires QHBP offerors in the individual and small group markets to consider all enrollees in a plan to be members of a single risk pool.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish: (1) risk corridors for certain plan years; (2) high risk pools for individuals with preexisting conditions; (3) a temporary reinsurance program for retirees covered by employer-based plans; and (4) a program under which a state establishes one or more QHBPs to provide at least an essential benefits package to eligible individuals in lieu of offering coverage through an exchange.

Entitles a qualified individual to the choice to enroll or not to enroll in a QHBP offered through an exchange covering the individual's state as well as QHBPs in the individual market. Requires such individuals to be U.S. citizens or lawful residents.

Requires each state to establish: (1) an exchange designed to facilitate enrollment in QHBPs in the individual market; and (2) a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange designed to assist qualified small employers in facilitating the enrollment of their employees in QHBPs in either the individual or the small group market.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a system allowing state residents to participate in state health subsidy programs; and (2) study methods exchange QHBPs can employ to encourage health care providers to make increased meaningful use of electronic health records.

Prescribes the contents of an essential benefits package, including little or no cost-sharing, no annual or lifetime limits on coverage, and preventive services.

Declares that nothing in this Act requires health care benefits plans to provide coverage for abortions. Requires the plan offeror to determine whether or not the plan provides coverage of abortion services for which federal funding: (1) is prohibited; or (2) is allowed. Requires the Secretary to assure that: (1) at least one QHBP covers abortion services for which federal funding is prohibited or allowed; and (2) at least one QHBP that does not cover abortion services for which federal funding is allowed. Prohibits the use of premium credits and cost-sharing subsidies for QHBPs covering abortion services for which federal funding is prohibited.

Prohibits QHBPs from discriminating against any individual health care provider or health care facility because of its willingness or unwillingness to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.

Continues application of state and federal laws regarding abortion.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow tax credits related to the purchase of health insurance through the state exchanges; and (2) impose an excise tax on individuals without essential health benefits coverage and on employers who fail to meet health insurance coverage requirements with respect to their full-time employees.

Requires the President to: (1) certify annually in the President's Budget whether or not the provisions in this Act will increase the budget deficit in the coming fiscal year; and (2) instruct the HHS Secretary and the Secretary of the Treasury to make required reductions in exchange credits and subsidies.

Establishes a new mandatory eligibility category under SSA title XIX (Medicaid) for all non-elderly, nonpregnant individuals who are otherwise ineligible for Medicaid.

Revises Medicaid benefits.

Rescinds funds available in the Medicaid Improvement Fund for FY2014-2018.

Makes appropriations for Aging and Disability Resource Center initiatives.

Increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for states to offer home and community-based services as a long-term care (LTC) alternative to nursing homes.

Creates a Community First Choice Option.

Adds a new optional categorically needy eligibility group to Medicaid for individuals: (1) with income that exceeds 133% of the poverty line; and (2) certain other individuals, but only for benefits limited to family planning services and supplies.

Directs the Secretary to establish a grants program to support school-based health centers.

Removes smoking cessation drugs, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines from Medicaid's excluded drug list.

Revises requirements for Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments.

Directs the Secretary to establish a Federal Coordinated Health Care Office within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS).

Directs the Secretary to establish a Medicaid Quality Measurement Program.

Revises requirements for the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). (CHIP refers to SSA title XXI [Children's Health Insurance Program].)

Sets forth special rules relating to American Indians and Alaska Indians.

Requires the Secretary to establish procedures for sharing data collected under a federal health care program on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, type of disability, and related measures and data analyses.

Amends SSA title V with respect to the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) block grant program.

Provides funding for abstinence education.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to codify and revise the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) wellness program regulations.

Elder Justice Act of 2009 - Amends SSA title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) with respect to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and their prevention.

Establishes within the Office of the Secretary an Elder Justice Coordinating Council.

Directs the Secretary to establish a hospital value-based purchasing program under Medicare.

Extends Physician Quality Reporting Initiative program (PQRI) incentive payments beyond 2010.

Modifies the Physician Feedback Program.

Requires the Secretary to develop a plan to implement a Medicare value-based purchasing program for home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to direct the Secretary to establish a national strategy to improve the delivery of health care services, patient health outcomes, and population health.

Directs the President to convene an Interagency Working Group on Health Care Quality.

Amends SSA title XI (General Provisions) to provide for the establishment of a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within CMMS.

Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the Secretary to establish a shared savings program that promotes accountability for a patient population and coordinates items and services under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).

Creates a Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

Directs the Secretary to establish a Community-Based Care Transitions Program

Revises requirements with respect to residents in teaching hospitals.

Increases the Medicare physician payment update.

Directs the Secretary to establish a Working Group on Access to Emergency Medical Care.

Extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program.

Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 with respect to the hospital wage index.

Establishes a Medicare prescription drug discount program for brand-name drugs for beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) and have drug spending that falls into the coverage gap.

Establishes an independent Medicare Commission to reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending.

Amends SSA title XI to add a new part D (Comparative Effectiveness Research) under which is established a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Establishes in the Treasury the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund.

Establishes a nationwide program for national and state background checks on direct patient access employees of LTC facilities and providers.

Directs the Secretary to establish new procedures for screening providers of medical or other items or services and suppliers under the Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP programs.

Directs the Secretary to establish a self-referral disclosure protocol to enable health care service providers and suppliers to disclose violations.

Requires the Secretary to expand the number of areas included in Round Two of the durable medical equipment (DME) competitive bidding program.

Extends the period for collection of overpayments due to fraud.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to: (1) an excise tax on the excess benefit of high cost employer-sponsored health coverage; (2) distributions from health savings accounts for drugs and insulin that are prescribed drugs and insulin only; (3) a limitation on salary reduction contributions by employers to a health flexible spending arrangement; (4) expanded information reporting requirements; (5) additional qualifying requirements for charitable hospital organizations; and (6) a qualifying therapeutic discovery project tax credit.

Imposes annual fees on: (1) manufacturers and importers of branded prescription pharmaceuticals or of medical devices; and (2) health insurance providers.

Increases the threshold for the itemized income tax deduction for medical expenses.

Prescribes a special rule to limit excessive remuneration by certain health insurance providers.

Excludes from an individual's gross income the value of any qualified Indian health care benefit.

Prescribes treatment of small business employers maintaining a simple cafeteria plan.

Reuters News Service: The Proposed Senate Plan for Financing Health Care Reform

…The House bill would impose a 5.4 percent surtax on individuals earning more than $500,000 a year and couples making more than $1 million. It also raises money by imposing a 2.5 percent excise tax on medical devices, by ending some tax breaks for multinational companies…and iincludes a 40% excise tax on high cost health insurance plans. Medicare payroll taxes would go up from 1.45 to 1.95 percent for individuals earning $200,000+ and for couples earning $250,000+.

Read More: Click Financing

Breaking News from the Washington Post: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to Unveil $849 Billion Compromise Health-Care Bill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has assembled a compromise health package that would expand coverage to more than 31 million Americans at a cost of $849 billion over the next decade, a senior leadership aide said late Wednesday.

The cost of the package would be more than made up for by cuts in future Medicare spending and an array of new taxes, the aide said, reducing projected budget deficits by $127 billion no later than 2019...

To Read More:  Click Senate Health-Care Bill