Download the Complete News Pulse   (351 KB)

House Passes Democrats' Health Care Reform Bill; Rejects GOP Proposal

With a 220–215 vote, the House approved the Democrats’ health care reform bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962), just before midnight on November 7. The bill, estimated to cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years, had been endorsed by AARP and the American Medical Association, and received 219 Democratic votes and 1 Republican vote from Representative Joseph Cao (R–LA). Prior to passage, the bill was amended to include a ban on using Federal health insurance subsidies to purchase insurance plans that cover abortions. However, plans purchased with Government subsidies may still offer abortions in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life. Also on November 7, the House rejected a GOP health care reform proposal on a 176–258 vote. The GOP bill would have limited damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, allowed small businesses to purchase health plans across state lines, and rewarded states for reducing their uninsured population. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the bill would insure an additional 3 million people by 2019 and lower average premium costs for those with coverage. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) has yet to release the Senate’s health care reform bill, saying that he is waiting for CBO cost estimates on several variations of the legislation before deciding which to introduce.

CMS Letter Provides CHIPRA M/SU Parity Implementation Guidance

On November 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Medicaid and State Operations Director Cindy Mann sent a letter to state health care officials providing implementation guidance for the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009’s mental health and substance use (M/SU) disorder parity requirements. The letter covers the law’s effect on Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs and provides preliminary guidance for Medicaid programs on the extent to which M/SU parity requirements apply to them.

Drug Policy Alliance Brief Advocates Changes to Veterans’ Substance Abuse Treatment

A brief released by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) examines substance abuse and incarceration among veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and issues recommendations for improving treatment. Among other policy recommendations, the DPA recommends that the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs expand veteran treatment programs to include medication-assisted treatment and adopt overdose prevention programs that target illicit drugs, alcohol, and prescription opioids. The DPA also recommends that state and Federal governments improve and expand drug court programs to keep veterans out of prisons and jails.

RWJF Report Considers Lessons for Wisconsin’s BadgerCare Plus Coverage Expansion

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released a report analyzing the successful expansion of Wisconsin’s BadgerCare Plus Medicaid program. Because of the expansion, Wisconsin was forced to cap enrollment, reaching maximum capacity 3 months after launching the program. The report notes that Wisconsin’s experience highlights a number of successful components for state and national health care expansions, including whole-family coverage, targeted automatic enrollment, expanded income eligibility limits, administrative responsibility for insurance verification, and aggressive outreach strategies pursued in partnership with community leaders.

To continue reading these articles and see all articles included in this week's National Financing News Pulse, download the complete issue.