Senate panel to consider healthcare plan

The finance panel is the last of five congressional committees to consider the healthcare bill after months of discussions failed to win Republican support.

The healthcare plan offered by Democratic Chairman Max Baucus has received an overall negative response as of now.

But Baucus is positive about the whole issue and said, “This is our opportunity to make history.” He also said that he has incorporated the topmost suggestions from both the sides, i.e. the Democrats and the Republicans.

“It’s designed to get the 60 votes it needs to pass,” he said.

It is being anticipated that there is going to be at least three days of debate on giving a face-lift to the $2.5 trillion healthcare industry.

The Congressional Budget Office had guesstimated last week that the proposal would decrease the shortfall by $49 billion over 10 years.

Healthcare plan designed by Baucus
The plan revealed by Baucus makes it mandatory for all the citizens and legal residents in the country to attain health insurance. People will be offered subsidies so that they can buy insurance without much hassle.

The plan would build state-based exchanges where individuals and small businesses could shop for insurance.

The proposal also says that a fee will be charged from healthcare companies and insurers, high-cost insurance plans will be taxed and Medicaid will be expanded. Also, the healthcare system for the poor will be developed.

However, Democrats feel that the subsidies might not be good enough.

Baucus to consider amendments and make alterations accordingly
For the past so many months now, Obama has been trying to push for an extensive healthcare revamp that would extend coverage to almost 46 million uninsured people living in the country.

Baucus is going to alter his bill to make it unproblematic for people of all income groups so that they can afford insurance under his plan.

Considering the amendments offered by the Democrats, Baucus said he would think on expanding subsidies to help buy insurance and also decrease the punishment for not buying insurance.

Amendments offered
292 of the amendments proposed in the bill have been put forward by the Republicans. These changes include proposals to get rid of the individual insurance constraint, permit procurement of insurance across state lines and abolish the fees on healthcare industries.

Democratic Senator John Rockefeller of West Virginia has offered an amendment to excuse workers involved in high-risk professions, such as coal miners, from the tax, because on an average they have costly insurance policies.

Republican Olympia Snowe offered an amendment to make the government-run public insurance alternative an emergency option if coverage remained too costly.