Senate Finance Committee Releases Health Care Bill

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D‐Mont.) today introduced the America’s Healthy Future Act, thought by many to be the basis for future negotiations in the health care reform debate.

Provisions in the legislation include:

• Create health care affordability tax credits to help low and middle income families purchase insurance in the private market;
• Provide tax credits for small businesses to help them offer insurance to their employees;
• Allow people who like the coverage they have today the choice to keep it;
• Reform the insurance market to end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and health status;
• Shift incentives in Medicare to reward better care, not just more care;
• Increase the number of primary care doctors in the system;
• Provide annual “wellness visits” for Medicare participants and their doctors to focus on prevention;

Click here for the full text of the Bill.

Click here for Chairman Baucus's Press Release.

SFC Releases Policy Options

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D‐Mont.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R‐Iowa) today released policy options for expanding health care coverage to the 46 million Americans who are currently uninsured.

The policy options released today aim to reform the individual and small group health insurance markets to end discrimination against sicker individuals. They would instead create a competitive insurance market where health plans compete on price and quality rather than the ability to segment risk and discriminate against individuals with pre‐existing health conditions. The options also include an expansion of public health insurance programs to cover the poorest Americans and make coverage more affordable by providing tax credits to low income individuals and small businesses. The policy options make purchasing coverage easier and more understandable for all consumers.

For the complete report click here

Public Comments should be directed to: Health_Reform@finance‐dem.senate.gov