Latest California Healthline Stories
Key Players Push for More Information, Tout Agendas in Reform Debate
Congress is winding down official action on health care reform for the summer. Sen. Jay Rockefeller is continuing to ask questions about health care cooperatives, while White House budget chief Peter Orszag is touting health economists’ endorsement of a plan for a new Medicare rate-setting commission.
State Budget Challenges Loom Over Proposals To Expand CHIP, Medicaid
Members of Congress are debating proposals to expand eligibility for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but governors are harboring concerns about how much the expansions would cost states. Meanwhile, a House panel held a hearing on rescissions, an issue that isn’t foreign to veteran observers of California health care policymaking.
States Keep Close Eye on Medicaid Expansion in Reform Debate
This week, legislative leaders in California signed on to a budget agreement that would cut state spending on Medicaid by $1.3 billion just as members of the House are debating a plan to expand eligibility for the program. The bill calls for the federal government to cover the cost of the expansion.
Obama, Democratic Leaders Push for Swift Action on Reform
President Obama has called for both houses of Congress to pass health care reform legislation before lawmakers adjourn for the August recess. House Democrats stepped up to the plate and unveiled their proposal yesterday, and the Senate HELP Committees approved its bill this morning.
Congress Returns To Work on Reform With Deadlines Looming
President Obama has said he wants to sign health care reform legislation by October. Looking at the calendar, that means Congress has a lot of work to do in the weeks before it adjourns for its August recess, especially on divisive issues like how to pay for reform and whether to include a public plan.
California Offers Examples of Public Plans in House Hearings
Officials for two different types of Medi-Cal managed care plans appeared before a House committee last week in support of including a public plan in health care reform legislation, while a representative of the Pacific Business Group on Health raised businesses’ concerns about such a plan.