Democrats Press House to Expand Health Care Bill

As a business owner offering health care benefits to employees and as one who has had to maintain family health insurance coverage, I am well acquainted with the growing burden health care costs are placing on small business and on family budgets. Despite shopping various programs available, the costs just continue to increase, causing many employers to cut back either in plan quality or the amount of the cpremiums paid by the employer. It is little wonder that more and more Americans have no health care insurance.

Does this upset Chimperator Bush and the Christianists? God, of course not. Be against gay marriage, oppose abortion and stem cell research, but to Hell with living, breathing, men, women and children. The hypocrisy is mind boggling. Personally, I believe that sooner or later the USA needs national health insurance or else only the rich and select employees will have health care coverage. Ay least some members of Congress seem to be catching on at least slightly. Here are highlights from New York Times story:

WASHINGTON, July 22 — After a rare bipartisan agreement in the Senate to expand insurance coverage for low-income children, House Democrats have drafted an even broader plan that also calls for major changes in Medicare and promises to intensify the battle with the White House over health care.

President Bush has threatened to veto what he sees as a huge expansion of the children’s health care program, which he describes as a step “down the path to government-run health care for every American.” The House measure calls for changes that the administration will probably find even more distasteful, including cuts in Medicare payments to private health plans.

Like the bill approved last week 17 to 4 in the Senate Finance Committee, the House bill would increase tobacco taxes to help finance expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

House Democrats hope to portray the issue as a fight pitting the interests of children and older Americans against tobacco and insurance companies. The White House says the Democratic proposals would distort the original intent of the children’s program, cause a big increase in federal spending and adversely affect older Americans who are happy with the extra benefits they receive from private health plans.

In the Senate Finance Committee, 6 Republicans joined 11 Democrats in defying Mr. Bush’s veto threat. The House bill was developed entirely by Democrats, who hope to win support from some moderate Republicans.

Cigarette makers are fighting the proposed increase in tobacco taxes, while insurers are lobbying against cuts in their Medicare payments. “Cuts of this size would mean the end of a lifeline for many seniors,” said Karen M. Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade association.

On Sunday, the National Governors Association, at its annual meeting, in Traverse City, Mich., declared that “urgent action is needed” to bolster the children’s health program. “Defaulting to a series of temporary extensions of the program would be untenable for states and the millions of children who rely on the program,” the governors said in letters to President Bush and Congress.

For the full story see: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/washington/23health.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp