We at Basic American Comfort would like to bring to you the most interesting news in Long-Term Care this week.

House Democrats End Impasse on Health Bill

By Robert Pear and David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times. Jul 30, 2009

After 10 days of marathon negotiations, four of seven Blue Dog Democrats reached agreement with Rep. Henry A. Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday, on a lower cost health care reform bill, with a floor vote deferred until September. Although most employers would still be required to provide health insurance to workers, more small businesses would be exempt from a federal tax imposed upon businesses not in compliance. States would be expected to contribute to the expansion of Medicaid (perhaps 7 percent), lightening the load of the federal government. A public health insurance plan, in competition with private insurers, would negotiate rates with health care providers, rather than being tagged to Medicare fee schedules. Additionally, states could set up nonprofit insurance cooperatives.

A Look at the Deal Worked Out on Health Care

Deal With ‘Blue Dogs’ Sets Up Health Care Vote

By The Associated Press. The New York Times. Jul 29, 2009 4:16 pm ET

As a part of a deal reached by House lawmakers to move the health care bill forward, subsidies to help people buy insurance would be reduced, small businesses with payrolls under $500,000 would be exempt from a requirement to provide insurance to employees, and government-run health insurance plans would have to negotiate reimbursement rates paid to providers. Initial estimates indicate these changes could lower the overall cost of the bill by $100 billion, but an official CBO study to support these estimates has not been completed. Lawmakers will delay a vote on the actual bill until after the August recess.

House Republicans Unveil $700B Health Care Plan

By The Associated Press, New York Times. Jul 29, 2009 4:04 pm ET

Yesterday, House Republicans revealed a health care plan with a price-tag of $700 billion. Though the plan would allow for subsidies to help people buy health insurance, the plan would not require people or employers to obtain insurance. Instead of creating federally regulated health insurance purchasing pools as in the Democrats’ proposal, individuals would have the ability to purchase lower-cost insurance, using the Internet, and states would be allowed grants to set up high-risk pools for those who are denied insurance from other insurers. Jury awards for pain and suffering would be limited under the GOP plan, and doctors would be allowed veto power over recommendations from the new Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Though Republicans say the plan will be fully paid for, it has not yet been studied by the Congressional Budget Office.

Senate Dems blame media for August health deadline

By J.Taylor Rushing, The Hill. Jul 30, 2009, 1:17 pm ET

Senate majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NC) told reporters the August recess “is a deadline you created. It’s not like we don’t have a product. Significant progress has been made … The mere fact that this wasn’t done by last Friday or by five o’clock doesn’t mean we’re not going to get a quality product.”

Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that “real progress” is being made in the Senate Finance Committee and that their plan will be strongly promoted during the August recess. Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D.-M.T.) announced that the overall cost of the bill had been reduced to under $900 billion over the next decade. 

Massachusetts Adjusts a Cut, Providing Some Health Care for 30,000 Immigrants

By Abby Goodnough, New York Times. Jul 30, 2009

About $40 million in funding has been restored to provide some health care for immigrants who have had a green card for less than 5 years and who currently live in Massachusetts.

Dozens arrested in Medicare fraud busts across US

By Kelli Kennedy, Associated Press. Jul 29, 2009 4:10 pm ET

Doctors were among some of the 30 suspects arrested in a Medicare fraud bust that took place in Houston, Boston, New York and Louisiana. A number of health care businesses have been accused of billing Medicare for high-priced “arthritis kits” that many patients either felt were unnecessary or never even received. In another scam, Medicare was billed for liquid nutritional products like “Ensure” for deceased individuals or for individuals who reportedly never received them.