Senate returns health bill to House
NOT A DONE DEAL YET: A LOOK AT THE BILL'S REVISIONS
The bill now before the Senate would make changes to the health care law signed by President Obama on Tuesday. Some of those proposed changes:
Enforcement: Adjusts the penalties on Americans who fail to buy health care insurance. Almost everyone will be required to buy insurance. The penalties will be gradually phased in, beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Under the bill, the fine for not having insurance would start at $95 per person up to $285 per family, or 1% of taxable household income, whichever is greater. By 2016, the penalty would be $695 for each family member up to $2,085, or 2.5% of taxable income.
Medicare prescription drugs: Provides more help for Medicare patients who have a gap in prescription-drug coverage. It provides for a one-time, $250 rebate this year and a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs, beginning in 2011. The coverage gap would be closed by 2020.
Nebraska deal: Removes language that would have given Nebraska 100% federal financing for newly eligible Medicaid recipients added to the program by the new law. Instead, the measure makes more money available to all states to help offset the new costs.
Insurance plan tax: Delays the excise tax that would be imposed on high-cost health insurance plans and raises the threshold for when the tax would take effect. Under the bill, a 40% excise tax would be delayed until 2018, and would be imposed on health care plans that cost more than $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families.
Unearned income tax: Imposes a 3.8% tax on unearned income for individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and families making more than $250,000. The money would help fund Medicare.
Student loans: Requires the government to originate student loans, closing out a role for banks and other private lenders who charge a fee. The savings -- projected to be more than $60 billion over a decade -- are plowed into higher Pell Grants for needy college students and increased support for historically black and Hispanic colleges.
Medicaid payments: Increases payments to primary care physicians under Medicaid.
(c) USA TODAY
NOT A DONE DEAL YET: A LOOK AT THE BILL'S REVISIONS
The bill now before the Senate would make changes to the health care law signed by President Obama on Tuesday. Some of those proposed changes:
Enforcement: Adjusts the penalties on Americans who fail to buy health care insurance. Almost everyone will be required to buy insurance. The penalties will be gradually phased in, beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Under the bill, the fine for not having insurance would start at $95 per person up to $285 per family, or 1% of taxable household income, whichever is greater. By 2016, the penalty would be $695 for each family member up to $2,085, or 2.5% of taxable income.
Medicare prescription drugs: Provides more help for Medicare patients who have a gap in prescription-drug coverage. It provides for a one-time, $250 rebate this year and a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs, beginning in 2011. The coverage gap would be closed by 2020.
Nebraska deal: Removes language that would have given Nebraska 100% federal financing for newly eligible Medicaid recipients added to the program by the new law. Instead, the measure makes more money available to all states to help offset the new costs.
Insurance plan tax: Delays the excise tax that would be imposed on high-cost health insurance plans and raises the threshold for when the tax would take effect. Under the bill, a 40% excise tax would be delayed until 2018, and would be imposed on health care plans that cost more than $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families.
Unearned income tax: Imposes a 3.8% tax on unearned income for individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and families making more than $250,000. The money would help fund Medicare.
Student loans: Requires the government to originate student loans, closing out a role for banks and other private lenders who charge a fee. The savings -- projected to be more than $60 billion over a decade -- are plowed into higher Pell Grants for needy college students and increased support for historically black and Hispanic colleges.
Medicaid payments: Increases payments to primary care physicians under Medicaid.
(c) USA TODAY
