Here are some major elements of the House Democrats health insurance overhaul and the Senate health committee’s bill. The Senate Finance Committee -- which has jurisdiction over Medicare, Medicaid, and tax increases -- has not yet unveiled its proposal. In the end, the final bill, if there is one, will be designed in a conference committee between House and Senate negotiators.";
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House Democrats bill
Would establish requirement for legal residents to obtain insurance; would impose financial penalty on most people who did not do so. Size of penalty would vary with income.
Senate health committee bill
Similar provision. Minimum penalty would be no more than $750 per year.";
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House Democrats bill
Would impose “play-or-pay” requirement on employers, who would either have to offer insurance to their workers and contribute a substantial share toward the premiums, or pay a fee to the federal government equal to 8 percent of their payroll. Employers with annual payroll of less than $250,000 would be exempt.
Senate health committee bill
Employers with more than 25 employees who do not offer coverage or who pay less than 60 percent of their employees’ monthly premiums would be subject to $750 annual penalty for every uninsured full-time employee and $375 for every uninsured part-time employee.";
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House Democrats bill
People with income below 133 percent of the federal poverty level -– which is about $29,000 for a family of four -- would be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Federal government would pay all costs of covering the newly eligible people.
Senate health committee bill
This committee does not have jurisdiction over Medicaid. Some Senate Democrats have proposed that Medicaid be expanded to cover people with incomes below about $33,000 for a family of four. ";
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House Democrats bill
The number of nonelderly people without health insurance would be reduced by about 37 million. That would leave about 17 million nonelderly residents uninsured, with nearly half of them being illegal immigrants.
Senate health committee bill
No Congressional Budget Office estimate yet on reduction in uninsured.
";
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House Democrats bill
Federal government would establish web-based insurance marketplaces or “exchanges.” Taxpayers would subsidize purchase of health insurance through those exchanges for those with incomes between about $29,000 and $88,200 for a family of four.
Senate health committee bill
Similar to House bill.";
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House Democrats bill
Would establish federally-run “public plan” available through the insurance exchanges. The goal would be to force down costs by competing with private-sector insurers. On average, the public plan would pay doctors and other medical providers Medicare reimbursement rates, plus 5 percent.
Senate health bill
Similar to the House bill.
";
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House Democrats bill
Would raise an estimated $544 billion in the first ten years after enactment by imposing new taxes on upper-income people. For a married couple filing a joint return, an added 1 percent tax would be imposed on adjusted gross income above $350,000, an added 1.5 percent tax on income above $500,000 and a 5.4 percent tax on income above $1 million. These taxes would be in addition to current income taxes. The 1 percent and 1.5 percent rates would increase to 2 percent and 3 percent, respectively, after 2012 if health insurance overhaul cost savings did not amount to $150 billion.
Senate health committee bill
This committee does not have jurisdiction over taxes.";
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House Democrats bill
Would result in an increase in federal deficits of $1 trillion for fiscal years 2010 through 2019, due to $438 billion in additional federal outlays for Medicaid and $773 billion in subsidies that would be given to purchase coverage through the new insurance exchanges. But Democrats say they would offset this with $544 billion in new tax revenues and by “achieving significant efficiencies and savings” in Medicare and Medicaid.
Senate health committee bill
The bill would cost about $615 billion over 10 years, but this does not include the cost of expansion of eligibility for Medicaid which will be in the Senate Finance Committee bill.
";
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House Democrats bill
Insurance companies would be prohibited from refusing to issue policies due to an individual’s health status and from excluding coverage of treatments for pre-existing health conditions.
Senate health committee bill
Similar to House bill.
";
// END editorial data