A quick update on the health reform bill, House-style, from HealthLeaders Media:
A House healthcare reform bill that appeared to be on a fast track this week for release by Friday hit a yellow flag Thursday night. In part, the Blue Dog Coalition--a group of 52 moderate to conservative Democrats--had called for changes in the legislation, saying that it lacked "a number of elements" to fix what was not working in the current healthcare system.*
Coalition members will be meeting with Democratic leadership on Friday to examine potential changes in the legislation--looking specifically at ways to hold down healthcare costs and address disparities in Medicare payments they said could adversely affects rural providers. This makes any release of a bill unlikely until next week.
Any bill that does come from the House "will not be taxing healthcare benefits" and it will have a public insurance option, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said yesterday in her weekly address. She predicted that the House will vote on a reform bill and "have it out of here" before the summer recess starts in several weeks.
*Rob wrote about the Blue Dogs in June, see: The Focus Quietly Shifts to the Moderates
