Health care issues: A 'trigger' or 'fallback' plan as a compromise to public optionOctober 14th, 2009 Health care issues: The 'trigger' public planA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Would a so-called "trigger" or "fallback" public plan win enough votes to get some sort of government-run insurance option in any health care legislation Congress may pass?
THE POLITICS: The trigger option is seen as a possible compromise that would replace the idea of allowing the government to sell insurance in competition with private insurance. Many Democrats want the so-called public option but Republicans oppose it.
Health care issues: What about a government-run single payer national health system?October 13th, 2009 Health care issues: A single-payer system?A look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Should there be a government-run, single-payer national health care system?
THE POLITICS: A government-run health care system is attractive to many Democrats, who want access to health insurance for all, including about 45 million uninsured Americans. One proposal in Congress would establish a program to provide all people in the United States with free health care through a publicly financed but privately delivered system.
Health care issues: Paying for abortionsOctober 9th, 2009 Health care issues: Paying for abortionsA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Would new health care legislation allow abortions to be funded with tax money?
THE POLITICS: Abortion opponents say proposed government-sponsored health insurance plans would change federal policy by paying for abortions in many cases. For years, a restriction in the law that governs Medicaid — health insurance for the poor — has barred federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest and danger to the mother's life.
Health care issues: Medicare cutsOctober 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.
Health care issues: Are insurance market changes enough to fix the health care system?October 5th, 2009 Health care issues: Insurance market overhaulA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Are changes in the insurance industry enough to fix problems in the nation's health care system?
THE POLITICS: To help expand health coverage, President Barack Obama is seeking changes to underwriting practices that can prevent Americans from obtaining affordable insurance. His proposals would ban higher premiums, caps or denial of coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition or when a person gets sick.
Health care issues: How to pay doctors under MedicareOctober 1st, 2009 Health care issues: Medicare payments to doctorsA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Should health care legislation include a so-called "doc fix" — funding to adjust Medicare reimbursements for doctors so that they don't face annual pay cuts?
THE POLITICS: Democrats in the House and President Barack Obama have said they want health care legislation to include $245 billion to adjust Medicare payments for physicians. The money would ensure doctors' pay isn't cut, and solve a payment problem that Congress has fixed piecemeal for years.
Health care issues: Calculating the price tagSeptember 17th, 2009 Health care issues: Calculating the price tagA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Is the Congressional Budget Office doing an accurate job of calculating how much the health care overhaul will cost?
THE POLITICS: Democrats pushing for overhaul of the nation's health care system face a dilemma — they want to cover as many people as generously as possible, while limiting the cost to deflect Republican accusations that they are addicted to spending and tax increases. That makes every dollar count.
Health care issues: What's the best treatment?September 16th, 2009 Health care issues: What's the best treatment?A look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Researching which treatments work best and how much they cost, and how doctors and patients should use that information. THE POLITICS: On the surface, it seems like common sense: How different health conditions are treated — whether with surgery, drugs or managing diet and exercise, for example — should depend on what works best and costs least.
Health care issues: Shortage of primary care doctors and incentives to attract moreSeptember 15th, 2009 Health care issues: Shortage of doctorsA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Will there be enough doctors to provide care to millions of previously uninsured patients if health reform is passed?
THE POLITICS: With primary-care doctors in limited supply, Republicans opposed to sweeping reform say the health care system would be overwhelmed if nearly 50 million uninsured Americans are given coverage. As is, the American Academy of Family Physicians is predicting a shortage of 40,000 primary-care doctors by 2020, with medical schools graduating only half the number needed to meet demand.
Obama travels to Minneapolis on Saturday for rally by supporters of health care overhaulSeptember 12th, 2009 Obama to attend health care rallyWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is traveling to Minneapolis for a rally on health care reform. Minnesota is an example of where Obama wants the rest of the country to go on health care.
Health care issues: Government spendingSeptember 9th, 2009 Health care issues: Government spendingA look at key issues in the health care debate:
THE ISSUE: Can taxpayers afford new subsidies to provide health insurance for millions in such a weak economy?
THE POLITICS: With a comprehensive insurance policy averaging nearly $13,000 a year for a family, covering nearly 50 million uninsured doesn't come cheap. Estimates range from $100 billion to $150 billion a year.
GOP senator predicts Democrats will use rare voting procedure to try to pass health care billAugust 23rd, 2009 Talk of Senate voting maneuvers on health careWASHINGTON — A Republican senator predicts Democrats will turn to a little-used voting procedure to try get around GOP opposition and pass health care legislation. It takes 60 votes to shut down GOP opposition and move ahead to an up-or-down vote on a bill.
Democratic senator says splitting health care bill into separate measures unlikely to workAugust 23rd, 2009 Senator: Single health care bill a better approachWASHINGTON — A key Democrat in the health care debate says separating out the various issues and putting them in different bills isn't likely to work. Some lawmakers have suggested that a separate bill with changes that are supported by Republicans and Democrats would be one route toward progress on the health care overhaul.
Orientation programme for newly elected MPsJuly 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The newly elected MPs will get tips on how to ask questions in the house and the other parliamentary proceedings at an orientation programme being organised by the Lok Sabha Secretariat next week. "The orientation programme will cover issues such as parliamentary questions and other procedural devices available to members to raise issues on the floor of the house, parliamentary committees, parliamentary privileges, budgetary process, etc.," said a release issued by the Lok Sabha Wednesday.
President Obama says he won't push health care plan on Congress, ready to hear other proposalsJune 11th, 2009 Obama: Cooperation with Hill needed on health careGREEN BAY, Wis. — President Barack Obama is vowing that he won't run roughshod over Congress in putting together legislation overhauling the country's health care system.
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