Congress recessed for the traditional August break without either the full House or the full Senate voting on a health care reform bill. It is very important that an overhaul of our health care system was not rushed through Congress as other bills have been. Any bill must be carefully studied and understood, and the effects of any change must be fully considered.
In the House three committees have approved a health care reform bill. In the Senate one committee has passed a bill while another continues to discuss it. Floor consideration is expected in both bodies once the congressional session resumes in September.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress
Legislative Process
As a bill comes to the floor of each chamber, the product of the various committees must be merged into one bill. That merged version could have significant differences from that passed by any of the committees. A vote would then be taken by the full House and the full Senate.
If the House and Senate each pass a bill, a conference committee is formed to merge those two versions into a single bill. A conference committee is where the final version of a bill is written. Many times the result of a conference committee seems like a completely new bill.
Thus, it is important to keep in mind that various provisions may or may not be included at any particular stage of the legislative process, but those provisions or even completely new ones can appear in the final version that goes to the President.
Outline of the House Bill
Since health care reform could touch every person in the country, it is important for you to consider how the various proposals will affect you and your family. While there are differences in the three different committee products, the basic outline of the bills in the House is similar. For a summary of the major provisions, click here.
Mac’s Views on Health Care Reform:
1. We need reform. There are significant problems in the health care system that should be addressed.
2. First do no harm. We need to preserve those parts that are working well in the current system while we improve those aspects that are not working so well.
3. The doctor-patient relationship must be the foundation upon which any health care system is based. Health care decisions are intensely personal and can best be made by doctors, patients, and families, not by government bureaucrats.
4. We need to reduce the separation between users of health care and the cost of care. Today, only about 12 % of health care costs are paid out-of-pocket by the patient.
5. Compensation for health care providers should be based on the quality of care they provide, not on the quantity of procedures they do.
6. To get the most out of every health care dollar, we must reduce litigation and paperwork.