Next week looks to be busy for Senate on Health Reform

The second week of the Senate's official debate on its health care reform bill (S 3590) was marked by partisan floor speeches and resulted in adoption of only 7 of the nearly 300 filed amendments by press time. While the process has been slow, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) reported earlier this week that a tentative agreement on a replacement for the public option has been reached.

Based on the limited details released to date, the agreement appears to establish private, nonprofit health insurance programs that would be set up by the Office of Personnel Management, much like the federal employees program. These programs would be run by private companies, but a new government insurance plan could be triggered if the private plans are not acceptable. The pending agreement would also allow uninsured people between the ages of 55 and 64 who lack insurance to buy into the Medicare program and expand the Children's Health Insurance Program. The agreement would also require health insurance companies to spend at least 90 percent of the premiums they collect on medical services. The compromise proposal is now at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for analysis and a score is expected by early next week.

Drawing ire from Republican senators, Senator Reid halted, temporarily, the contentious health care reform debate to focus on the year-end omnibus spending bill, HR 3288, adopted in the House yesterday. Reid shifted the upper chamber's priority to the spending bill while he awaits the CBO score on the alternative to the public plan option. Reid's decision to put the health care reform debate in a holding pattern pending CBO analysis, has delayed a controversial drug importation amendment to the health care legislation, along with a motion to limit its tax impact on individuals and married couples.

During a conference call last night with health care groups, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) discussed the following time table as related to Senate health care reform bill:

• The Senate will return to health care on Monday, December 14 with the goal of completing consideration of all amendments by Tuesday, December 15 and begining consideration of procedural motions on Wednesday, December 16.
• The vote on final passage is targeted for Monday, December 21.

Despite the ongoing wrangling in the Senate over health care reform, the Senate is working to pass its reform bill as early as next week with the hope that the House will approve the Senate version before Congress adjourns for the year thereby limiting the need for a conference committee. Still other speculation suggests that the final bill may not pass the full Congress until Valentine's Day.