by
Barbara Kram, Editor | October 13, 2009
Sen. Finance Chairman Max Baucus, left,
and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley
The Senate Finance Committee today passed its health care reform bill, America's Healthy Future Act, by vote of 14-9. All 13 of the Democrats on the Committee supported the bill, but it earned just one Republican vote, from Sen. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
"I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress to take every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issue of our time," Senator Snowe said of health care reform.
Sen. Orrin Hatch withheld support echoing opposition concern that the nation is moving toward an expansion of government and a single payor health insurance system, he told CNN.
The bill expands federal and state government insurance programs and earmarks funds to support purchase of insurance plans by low- and middle-income Americans. Today's vote clears the way for the bill to go to a floor vote by the full Senate, where a heated and partisan debate is expected. The measure must also be reconciled with a separate bill from the Senate Health Committee.
"The bill we passed today puts patients and doctors--not insurance companies--in the driver's seat," said Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT). "It includes strong provisions to end insurance company practices that discriminate against those who are sick or have pre-existing conditions. It modernizes our health care system to reduce waste and inefficiency and slows health care costs that stretch families, businesses and our economy to the breaking point."
The Congressional Budget Office indicated that the bill would cost $829 billion and would actually serve to reduce the federal deficit by $81 billion in 10 years.
Meanwhile, in the lower chamber, leaders in the House of Representatives must reconcile three separate health care bills.
Read the Chairman's summary of the bill here:
http://finance.senate.gov/press/Bpress/2009press/prb101309b.pdf
Read further details of the legislation in DOTmed's prior coverage:
Health Care Reform Update: CBO OK's Bill
https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/10410/
