The House has narrowly passed its version of health care legislation, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., hopes to bring the Senate bill to a vote before the end of the year.
Both chambers will have to agree on a final version before President Barack Obama can sign it.
But as the two bills are now stand, how would each one affect your health care coverage?
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Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","Who's covered? ","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
The House bill would cover about 96 percent of legal residents under age 65 — compared with 83 percent now. About one-third of the remaining 18 million people under age 65 left uninsured would be illegal immigrants.
The Senate bill would cover about 94 percent of legal, non-elderly residents. It would reduce the number of non-elderly uninsured by 31 million, leaving 24 million non-elderly people without insurance. One-third of them would be illegal immigrants.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","How much would it cost? ","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
The net cost of the House bill is $894 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. However, that figure leaves out a variety of new costs in the bill, like increased prescription drug coverage for seniors under Medicare, so the measure may cost a total of around $1.2 trillion.
The Senate bill would cost $848 billion, according to the CBO estimate.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","How is it paid for?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
The House bill would increase taxes on single people making more than $500,000 a year and couples making more than $1 million. Revenues from those taxes would raise about $460 billion over the next decade. Another $400 billion would come from cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, and medical device makers would pay a new fee totaling $20 billion.
The Senate bill imposes a tax on high-premium insurance plans, raising $149 billion in revenue. It also imposes a $53.8 billion tax increase on wages in excess of $200,000, and limits the deductibility of medical expenses, raising $15 billion. It would also impose $102 billion in fees on drug manufacturers, medical device manufacturers, and health insurance providers.
The Senate bill would cut spending on Medicare by $354 billion. It would collect $36 billion in penalty payments from uninsured individuals and from businesses that don’t cover their employees.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","Would I be required to get coverage? ","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
The House bill requires individuals to get insurance, although people can apply for waivers if coverage is unaffordable. Individuals who don’t qualify for a waiver and do not have insurance will pay a tax of 2.5 percent of their income.
The Senate bill requires individuals and families to buy coverage as long as it costs no more than 8 percent of their income. Those who are obligated to buy coverage and refuse would face a fine of $95 in the first year of the program, increasing to $750 by 2016.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","Would my employer be required to cover me?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
If large employers don't provide insurance to their workers, they will face a penalty of 8 percent of payroll. Companies with payrolls under $500,000 annually are exempt. The penalty could also be less for companies with payrolls under $750,000.
The Senate bill requires firms with more than 200 employees to automatically enroll new full-time employees in coverage with the opportunity for an employee to opt out. It also requires an employer with more than 50 full-time employees that does not offer coverage to pay a fee of $750 per full-time employee if the government ends up subsidizing employees' coverage.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","Will my taxes go up? ","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
Some people's taxes will increase if either plan is enacted.
The House bill would impose a 5.4 percent income tax on individuals making more than $500,000 and on couples making more than $1 million. Right now, the top income tax rate is 35 percent, but the top rate could grow to almost 40 percent if existing tax cuts expire in 2011 as President Obama wants. Passage of the House bill would further increase that top rate to 45 percent.
The Senate bill would impose a 40 percent tax on the some of the most expensive insurance plans. It also raises the Medicare payroll tax rate from 1.45 percent to 1.95 percent on individual taxpayers earning over $200,000 (or $250,000 for married couples filing jointly). It limits deductibility of medical expenses, which will have the effect of raising taxes on some people, and imposes a new 5 percent tax people who get cosmetic surgery. ";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","Who would be eligible for government help?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
Under both the House and Senate bills, individuals and families with an annual income up to 400 percent of the poverty level (about $88,000 for a family of four) would get subsidies to help them pay for coverage.";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","How would I choose my health insurance? ","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
Many people who now have employer-based coverage would not be affected by either bill, as long as his or her company continues to provide insurance as a benefit.
Both bills would create new national health insurance marketplaces, or \"exchanges,\" where individuals and small employers would be able to purchase insurance. Over time, the exchange would be expanded to large companies as well. States could operate their own exchanges in place of the national exchange if they follow federal rules.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","What if I have a pre-existing condition? ","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
Both chambers' bills would forbid insurance companies from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions. Insurers would also be prohibited from raising premiums for people based on pre-existing conditions or gender. ";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","Would there be a government-run insurance option? ","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
The bill passed by the House would set up a new public plan that would be run by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Secretary would negotiate with insurance providers to determine the rates paid to doctors.
The Senate bill also creates a public plan. State governments could elect not to make the public plan available in their state.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","How would Medicaid coverage change?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
Eligibility requirements for Medicaid currently vary widely from state to state, but both the Senate and House health care proposals would expand the program for the poor and standardize many of the rules about who can receive coverage.
The House bill would expand Medicaid to cover all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 150 percent of the poverty level, or $33,075 per year for a family of four. The federal government would pick up the full cost of the expansion in 2013 and 2014; starting in 2015, states would have to pick up about 9 percent of the cost.
The Senate bill would extend Medicaid coverage to 133 percent of the poverty level for all individuals under age 65.
";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","What will happen to people covered by Medicare?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
Both the House and Senate bill aim to substantially cut spending on the Medicare program for people 65 and older.
The Senate would cut $354 billion.
The CBO says it's \"unclear\" whether cuts \"would reduce access to care or diminish the quality of care.\"";
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i++] = new Array("","When do these provisions take effect?","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
Pol_091109_Health_Bill_Comparison[i-1].body = "
In each bill, the dates vary on when provisions take effect.
In the House bill, for example, the requirement that all individuals have insurance coverage takes effect on Jan. 1, 2013, as do the subsidies to help people buy insurance. A major part of the House tax increase takes effect on Jan. 1, 2011.
In the Senate bill, key provisions such as the individual mandate begin in 2014; most tax increases take effect in 2013.
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