March 15, 2010
This week's edition of the Chandler Chicco Companies-DC Health Policy Pulse includes:- The Most Important Week Ever
- Counting Votes
- Clowns to the Left of Me
- Last Minute Money
- Will Reform Reduce Costs?
- Perspective: Fill Out Your Brackets
- Healthcare Playmakers Profile: Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario
The Most Important Week Ever
Washington is breathlessly anticipating the next is a series of “pivotal moments” in the health reform debate. House Speaker Pelosi and her team are pointing toward action on the Senate-passed health reform bill as soon as Friday of this week… although most expect the debate to slip into the weekend. It is likely, at this moment, that the House will simultaneously vote on the Senate legislation and a budget reconciliation bill, legislation designed to modify the Senate-passed bill to bring it more in-line with what the House and President Obama want.
It is not yet clear that Speaker Pelosi has the 216 votes she needs to pass the Senate bill. There remain a number of issues that must be addressed before she gets there. The complications of the reconciliation process, the potential rulings of Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin and the promise from the White House that there will be no “state specific” deals in this round of health reform negotiations makes it that much harder to get a House Majority.
For those who hoping that an end is near, it is fair to say that the end is, at least, nearer. But it not yet clear what the end will be.
Counting Votes
Lobbyists on both sides of the health reform issue spent this weekend comparing notes, trying to figure out which House Democrats are “in play,” that is, which have not yet committed to voting for or against the Senate-passed health reform bill. The challenge, of course, is that there are multiple and sometimes contradictory issues that must be addressed before these legislators are comfortable. And many of the promised changes rely on the ability and willingness of Senate Democrats to make the asked-for modifications. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34393.html
Clowns to the Left of Me
MoveOn.org today announced that it would work to field “progressive primary challengers” to Democrats who vote against the health reform bill in the House this week. This is puzzling. Most of the Democrats who will vote no will do so because they are worried about a challenge from the right, that is, from Republicans in November. They represent largely moderate to conservative constituencies who are very worried about President Obama’s plans to reform health care. In fact, most of these incumbents would probably welcome a challenge from the left, which would give them the opportunity to appear more conservative by comparison than they might otherwise. As for the others who vote no, they will likely do so because the Senate bill doesn’t contain the public option MoveOn advocates. It’s hard, but not impossible, to believe MoveOn would challenge them as well. http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0310/MoveOn_threatens_antireform_Dems.html
Last Minute Money
As the moment for voting in the House moves ever closer, interest groups are predictably spending lots of money on advertising designed to sway swing voters – especially moderate House Democrats – to support one side or the other. Most of the ads are running back home on local television and radio in members’ home districts. These ads rarely actually persuade a legislator to vote one way or the other. But they send a message. Sometimes, legislators are grateful for such advertising as it can give them the political cover they are looking for. But far more often, the ads are designed to threaten legislators, to warn them of a much larger barrage of similar ads likely to come their way should they vote wrong. And, at the moment, it looks like those who support health reform are spending about the same amount as those who oppose it. http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/03/after_delay_dem.php
Will Reform Reduce Costs?
Will the health reform legislation moving through congress do anything to slow the growth of health care costs? It depends who you ask. Health reform supporters argue that there are a number of provisions included in the bill that will effectively slow the rate of increase in healthcare spending. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/cost_containment_key.html
Opponents are not persuaded, however. While the President’s bill would cap health insurance premium increases, they argue that the bill does little to actually reduce the underlying costs of health care, like hospitalization, drug therapy and physician care. http://www.ahip.org/content/pressrelease.aspx?docid=29535
No wonder this debate is hard to follow.
Perspective: Fill Out Your Brackets By Al Jackson, CCC Washington
Below is your official “Health Reform Tournament” Bracket. Please complete your entries before Thursday March 18 (note: deadline may slip).
President Obama should have no problem defeating the Insurance Lobby in the opening round, nor does anyone expect Speaker Pelosi to face a difficult challenge from the relatively powerless House Republicans represented by Minority Leader John Boehner.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) has been giving Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) fits all season. And that is likely to continue throughout this tournament and for who knows how long.
Some were surprised that Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin, who before this week was a little-known player on Capitol Hill, was seeded as high as third. Frumin, of course, will decide which health reform provisions will require only 51 Senate votes for passage. If Frumin prevails in the opening round over House Liberals, as expected, it sets up a widely anticipated battle between the Senate Parliamentarian and the President of the United States. Some insiders are picking the dark-horse Frumin to be the winner… and the only winner… emerging from this year’s Health Reform Tournament.
Get your bracket completed today.
Healthcare Playmaker Profile
Joel Ario, Vice Chairman, National Association of Insurance Commissioners Health Care Committee
Joel Ario was appointed Pennsylvania’s Insurance Commissioner in June 2007. He has previously served as the chief insurance regulator for the state of Oregon, Chair of the Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee, and Chair of the Market Regulation Committee. Ario also serves as Vice Chairman of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Health Care Committee and is regarded within the insurance industry as a “fair and open-minded regulator.”
As House Democrats attempt to reel in enough votes to pass health reform legislation this week, they are pointing fingers at health insurers for the high costs of health care – and several economists (and health insurers) are fighting back. Enter Joel Ario, the “fair and open-minded regulator,” who has surfaced in this debate as the White House’s health insurance “messenger master.” According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ario believes health insurers are to blame for the dramatic increase in insurance premiums, and that insurance companies must end their most “egregious practices.” He believes that for health reform to work, the government should mandate everyone buy insurance, and the government must help the Americans who can't afford it. Ario has been seen voicing his remarks at several key meetings and in interviews on health care this past week. His talking points and his leadership within the NAIC make him an important player in the health reform debate. http://www.philly.com/philly/business/87606152.html
For more information or to subscribe directly to the CCC-DC Health Policy Pulse, please email healthpolicypulse@chandlerchiccocompanies.com or call CCC-DC Health Policy Pulse Editor Al Jackson at 202-609-6002 or contributor Katherine Lea at 202-609-6021.
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