Fw: NATAP: More on Healthcare Reform Bill

[Guest guest]

US lawmakers approve healthcare reform legislation

by Mark Todoruk

Last Updated:March 22, 2010 10:00 firstword.com

The House of Representatives voted 219-212 on Sunday to approve legislation passed by the Senate in December

that will bring changes to the US healthcare system. A total of 216

votes were required to pass the 10-year, $940-billion bill, which,

according to the Congressional Budget Office, will extend health

coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans.

The House also voted 220-211 to approve a reconciliation bill

that will make changes to the Senate legislation. The reconciliation

bill builds on a Senate measure aiming to help close a "doughnut hole"

in Medicare coverage for prescription drugs. Part of the funding would

come from an $80-billion, decade-long agreement with the pharmaceutical industry reached in June 2009.

In addition, under legislation, the pharmaceutical industry

would be subject to industry fees starting in 2011. Lawmakers replaced

a $2.3-billion annual tax in the Senate bill with a levy that would

gradually increase from $2.5 billion in 2011 to $4.2 billion in 2018.

Beginning in 2019, the fee would drop to $2.8 billion annually and be

stable thereafter. The amendments must now be approved in the Senate by

a simple majority, with action expected later this week.

Reference Articles

US House passes key healthcare reform bill

- (BBC News)

Health care: Changes made to Senate bill by House Democrats

- (Bloomberg)

House approves landmark US health-care overhaul legislation

- (Bloomberg)

Health care bill passes in House

- (CBS News)

Landmark health care overhaul bill heads to Obama's desk

- (CNN)

Democrats win historic healthcare vote

- (Financial Times)

Historic health-care bill goes to Obama for signature

- (MarketWatch)

House approves health overhaul, sending landmark bill to Obama

- (The New York Times)

US Congress passes Barack Obama's historic health care reform bill

- (The Telegraph)

House passes historic health bill (free preview)

- (The Wall Street Journal)

House sends health care overhaul bill to Obama

- (Washington Post)

House approves sweeping healthcare overhaul

- (News)