Compromise Healthcare Reform Bill

November 18, 2009 — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) today unveiled a compromise healthcare reform bill that includes the controversial public option — a government-sponsored health plan — that would compete with private plans.

However, the public option is doubly optional — individual states can choose whether to make the government-sponsored plan available to their residents, according to a senior aide to Sen. Reid. The bill also calls for member-owned "co-op" health plans.

The legislation represents a blend of two bills, one crafted by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and the other by the Senate Finance Committee. The former committee's bill included the public option; the latter did not, but instead called for "co-op" plans.

The opt-out clause for the public option in the new Senate bill attempts to placate critics who say a government health plan would force private insurers out of business, leading to a federal takeover of healthcare. Public-option supporters contend that a government plan will merely make private insurers more competitive.

The Senate bill would cost $849 billion through 2019, but it would ultimately shave $127 billion off the federal deficit while reducing the number of uninsured by 31 million people, according to a senior Democratic leadership aide.

The bill bears the strong mark of Sen. Reid, who has sought the middle ground for the sake of winning 60 Senate votes. Sixty is the magic number needed to overcome any procedural hurdles mounted by opponents and pass a motion to proceed, which would bring the bill to the Senate floor for debate and a vote. Democrats hold 58 Senate seats; independents, two more.

"I have the responsibility of taking what the left wants and what the right wants and coming up with a package that is a moderate piece of legislation that will allow the American people to have a new structure that will control healthcare in this country," Sen. Reid said earlier this month.

A vote on a motion to proceed could come as early as tomorrow.

If passed, the Senate bill would have to be reconciled to a bill passed earlier this month by the House. The reconciled bill would then come before both chambers for a final vote.

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Author(s)
Robert Lowes
Freelance writer, St. Louis, Missouri

Disclosure: Robert L. Lowes has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.