Health Reform Package Continues to Advance
Dec. 23 -- TUESDAY, Dec. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Prominent health-care experts are throwing their support behind the Senate version of the health reform package, which now looks like it will be passed before Christmas since Senate Democrats have garnered the 60 votes needed to move the bill forward.
"Overall, it is a multi-dimensional attack on the problems of our health-care system," said Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, and includes all of the essential elements for achieving the goals of ensuring access to care, making coverage more affordable and slowing the growth of health-care costs.
The 10-year, $871 billion health reform package won't make its way to the White House until early next year, after House and Senate negotiators huddle to iron out differences between their respective bills. Assuming they reach an agreement, each chamber must vote on a compromise version. If the House and Senate pass the measure, then it will go to President Barack Obama for his signature.
The American Medical Association on Monday announced its support of the Senate bill.
"All Americans deserve affordable, high-quality health coverage so they can get the medical care they need -- and this bill advances many of our priority issues for achieving the vision of a health system that works for patients and physicians," AMA President-elect Dr. Cecil B. Wilson said in a statement.
The bill expands health insurance coverage to more than 94 percent of Americans under age 65, including 31 million uninsured, and provides tax credits to help low-income individuals and families pay for coverage. Exclusions on pre-existing conditions would be a thing of the past.
While Obama remains steadfast in his drive for health reform, the latest polling data from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that the American public's outlook soured somewhat in December. Fifty-four percent of Americans now support health reform, while 41 percent say the nation cannot afford to take on health reform now. Those percentages mirror the spread in August, when angry citizens lambasted members of Congress at town hall debates across the country.
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