A new letter to congressional leaders from the Academy's Health Practice Council outlines a number of areas in existing health care reform proposals that should be addressed in order to avoid unintended consequences. The council sent the letter on March 8 as House and Senate leaders continue to move ahead on reform legislation through the budget reconciliation process. The letter urges policymakers to:
Strengthen the individual mandate
Modify certain grandfathering provisions
Modify the medical loss ratio requirements
Base insurance oversight on actuarial principles
Modify the excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health insurance and
Strengthen the eligibility requirements in the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.
Legislative Updates
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) indicated on Tuesday that the House would not commit to the March 18 deadline set by the administration for passage of the Senate health care reform bill (H.R. 3590). Throughout the week, House and Senate leadership have suggested varying timelines for passage of the Senate bill in the House, as well as for passage of any reconciliation package by the House and Senate.
Negotiations continue on many potential adjustments to the Senate bill that could be included in the reconciliation package. One of the more challenging issues relates to the difference between the House and Senate bills on abortion funding restrictions. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) has indicated that he, along with at least 10 other Democrats, would vote against the bill if it does not include language that prohibits federal subsidies from being used to make payments for coverage that includes abortion. House leadership is reported to be working with Rep. Stupak to address his concerns.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) updated on Thursday its estimates on the budgetary impact of the Senate health care reform bill (H.R. 3590) that passed on Dec. 24. The updated estimates indicate that the Senate bill would reduce the deficit by $118 billion from 2010 to 2019 and would cost $875 billion over those years. Lawmakers now wait for the CBO to score President Obama's proposed adjustments to health care reform legislation.
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