Word: baucus
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...Senate include a government-insurance option that would compete with private plans to help keep costs down. Republicans across the board have denounced the proposal, with many calling it the first step to socialized medicine. In a nod to the concerns of his GOP colleagues and some moderate Democrats, Baucus introduced an alternative to the public plan: nonprofit state or regional cooperatives that, except for some seed money from Washington, would be exclusively financed by members' premiums. The hazy concept of co-ops has been pushed by North Dakota Democrat Kent Conrad, who was part of the bipartisan so-called...
...Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat and longtime champion of the public plan, said he intends to introduce an amendment to insert the federal alternative into the bill, though there was no word if Baucus would accept such an amendment. "The proposed co-op model is untested and unsubstantiated and should not be considered as a national model for health insurance," Rockefeller said. If Dems choose to go it alone without any Republican support, it's possible they could include such a plan in the final version of the bill. But many moderate Democrats, such as Landrieu and Nebraska...
...Affordability This issue emerged in the final days of negotiations as a key flash point. To help keep costs down, Baucus provides comparatively less generous subsidies to help low- and middle-income people purchase insurance. "The House bill clearly does more to make coverage affordable for more Americans," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in welcoming Baucus' bill. "As this proposal evolves, we hope to see modifications that result in the Senate bill better reflecting the work of the House to make health care more affordable for all Americans...
...Medicare Baucus has held down the fiscal impact of his legislation by proposing to cut a hefty $500 billion in Medicare costs. The bill claims to do this by trimming a lot of fat out of the system and setting up an independent, nonpartisan panel that will take away Congress's power to set Medicare payment policies and reimbursement rates. But, most controversially, the bill takes a big chunk of money from the Medicare Advantage program, which essentially subsidizes insurers. "We are committed to working with policymakers and stakeholders to find savings in the Medicare program, including Medicare Advantage...
...Medicaid Baucus would expand Medicaid coverage, which currently tops out for people who make 100% of the poverty level, to 133% of that level ($29,327 for a family of four), a shift that is expected to cover an additional 10 million Americans, including childless adults who have previously not been eligible for the program. Medicaid, however, has always been a partnership between the states and the Federal Government, and Baucus wasn't willing to absorb all of the costs of expanding the program. Under his proposal, the Federal Government would pay most of the new Medicaid costs: at least...