Dems want to let people who lose jobs keep employer-covered care until they find new coverage

October 9th, 2009 A look at Congress' legislative languageHere's a look at how three issues are described in the legislative language of the House's initial health care bill compared with the "conceptual" — or plain English — language used by the Senate Finance Committee. The issues are: Coverage for pre-existing conditions and denial of coverage; a requirement for all individuals to obtain health insurance; and how subsidies to help low-income people purchase insurance are distributed.

October 6th, 2009 Health care issues: Medicare cutsA look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Will seniors' Medicare benefits be slashed to pay for health care overhaul? THE POLITICS: Democrats are proposing to reduce the ballooning costs of Medicare to keep the program solvent. They want to root out waste to find the savings, and to reduce payments to some providers.

September 30th, 2009 A look at the Senate Finance health care billThe Senate Finance Committee pushed ahead Wednesday on a comprehensive health care bill. The panel hopes to finish the legislation by week's end.

September 30th, 2009 People playing the odds on health care over costsNEW YORK — Call it a health care gamble: the decision by some people to opt out of health insurance, paying cash for routine care while playing the odds that an accident or catastrophic illness won't plunge them into financial ruin. President Barack Obama's goal of requiring everyone to carry health insurance has drawn a great deal of skepticism from this group.

September 24th, 2009 Health care issues: Shopping for insuranceA look at key issues in the nation's health care debate: THE ISSUE: Is there an easier, more transparent way for consumers to shop for health insurance? THE POLITICS: Most Americans under age 65 get insurance coverage through their employers. Small-business employers, however, increasingly find policies unaffordable.

September 8th, 2009 A look at Baucus health care planA look at a health care overhaul plan from Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., under discussion by six senators on the Finance Committee.

July 28th, 2009 Proposed tax on 'Cadillac' coverage questionedWASHINGTON — They call them Cadillac health plans. But a clunker may be hiding behind the sticker price.

July 16th, 2009 Democrats push quicker access to health coverageWASHINGTON — House Democrats want to guarantee people with pre-existing health conditions faster access to insurance coverage. Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee passed the amendment as they got to work Thursday on their portion of a sweeping health overhaul bill.

July 3rd, 2009 Under Senate health care plan, either way you payWASHINGTON — First you paid to insure your car. Soon you may have to add health insurance premiums to that stack of monthly bills as well.

July 2nd, 2009 Senate bill fines people refusing health coverageWASHINGTON — Americans who refuse to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a health care overhaul bill unveiled Thursday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the fines will raise around $36 billion over 10 years.

July 2nd, 2009 Uninsured face stiff penalty in Senate health billWASHINGTON — Americans who refuse to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a health care overhaul bill unveiled Thursday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the fines will raise around $36 billion over 10 years.

June 19th, 2009 Senate Dems pare back health billWASHINGTON — Key Senate Democrats, bidding for bipartisan support on health care, pared back subsidies designed to make insurance more affordable on Thursday and floated a compromise that rules out direct government competition against private insurers. Despite the cost-cutting, the proposal backed by Sen.

June 14th, 2009 Sebelius says Obama plan would lower health costsWASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the government health insurance plan proposed by the Obama administration would increase competition and drive down costs. Sebelius says President Barack Obama does not want to dismantle privately owned plans and does not want the 180 million people who have employer coverage to lose their insurance.

June 14th, 2009 Senator says tax on health benefits is unnecessaryWASHINGTON — A leading Democratic senator says the idea of taxing health benefits is a bad one and unnecessary. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut says that people are struggling economically at the moment and don't need a new tax on the health care benefits they receive.

March 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In the midst of its worst recession in decades, President Barack Obama says it would be better to create new jobs that can't be outsourced instead of bringing back such low paying jobs from other countries. 'Not all of these jobs are going to come back,' he told a questioner during an 'Online Townhall' from the White House who asked when would jobs outsourced to other countries come back and be made available to the unemployed workers in the US.