Mon
Sep 14 2009
03:05 am

[UPDATE 9/16 9:51 am]] Chairman’s Mark
America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009
The Senate Finance Committee chaired by Senator Max Baucus is in charge of answering that question, and they don't have a bill yet. There will be what is called the chairman's markup sometime this week which is where the chair introduces a full bill text to the committee. Next week the committee will vote on that mark. Last week, Senator Baucus released an 18 page rough draft or framework of what the bill will be, and page 17 and 18 contain revenue provisions:

continued...

High Cost Insurance Excise Tax. An excise tax of 35% would be levied on insurance companies and insurance administrators for any health insurance plan that is above $8,000 for singles and $21,000 for family plans. The tax would apply to self-insured plans and plans sold in the group market, but not to plans sold in the individual market. The tax would apply to the amount of the premium in excess of the threshold. The threshold would be indexed for inflation, and a transition rule would raise the threshold by 20%, 10%, and 5% for the 17 highest cost states for the first three years.
Increasing Transparency in Employer W-2 Reporting of Value of Health Benefits. The proposal would require employers to disclose the value of the benefit provided by the employer for each employee’s health insurance coverage on the employee’s annual Form W-2.
Limit Health Flexible Savings Account Contributions. Contributions to health Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs) would be limited to $2,000 per year under this proposal.
Eliminate Exclusion for Employer Part D Subsidy. The proposal would eliminate the exclusion from gross income for the subsidy for employers who maintain prescription drug plans for their Medicare Part D eligible retirees.
Standardize the Definition of Qualified Medical Expenses. The definition of qualified medical expenses for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs), and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) would be conformed to the definition used for the itemized deduction. An exception to this rule would be included so that amounts paid for over-the-counter medicine with a prescription still qualify as medical expenses.
Increase the Penalty for Use of Health Savings Account Funds for Non-qualified Medical Expenses. This proposal would increase the additional tax for Health Savings Account (HSA) withdrawals prior to age 65 that are not used for qualified medical expenses from 10% to 20%.
Corporate Information Reporting. The proposal would require businesses that pay more than $600 annually to corporate providers of property and services to file an information report with
18
each provider and with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Information reporting is already required on payments to non-corporate providers for services.
Non-profit Hospitals Requirements. This proposal would establish new requirements applicable to nonprofit hospitals. The requirements would include a periodic community needs assessment.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Companies Fee. Under this proposal, an annual fee of $2.3 billion would be imposed on the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector beginning in 2010. The fee would be allocated by market share.
Medical Device Manufacturers Fee. Under this proposal, an annual fee of $4 billion would be imposed on the medical devices manufacturing sector beginning in 2010. The fee would be allocated by market share.
Health Insurance Provider Fee. The proposal would impose an annual fee of $6 billion on the health insurance sector beginning in 2010. The fee would be allocated by market share.
Clinical Laboratories Fee. Under this proposal, an annual fee of $750 million would be imposed on clinical laboratories beginning in 2010. The fee would be allocated by market share, except for small businesses.

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"Basically, everybody who writes about this stuff today repeats the health-insurance lobby's line from 1994. Like: "The bill was long and complicated." The bill took out four hundred more pages of federal law than it put in.

-Bill Clinton

EricLykins's picture

BREAKING OVERNIGHT – The

BREAKING OVERNIGHT – The Senate Finance Committee’s hardworking Jennifer Donohue sends an email at 1:41 a.m. to tell reporters that Baucus and staff will brief them on the chairman’s mark at noon today in 215 Dirksen.

Politico>Mobile>LivePulse

reform4's picture

High cost plans

Since some plans price based on age/health risk, isn't this just a tax on the elderly and sick, if you do it only based on cost?

EricLykins's picture

That tax is on the insurance

That tax is on the insurance companies. Although the natural assumption would be that they would shift this cost to the consumer in the form of higher premiums, the insurance companies get a huge subsidy from all of the new customers now required to have insurance.

For all the key points in one minute, there's an 11 page slide show over here at Business Insider

EricLykins's picture

special coverage from beliefnet.com

The Baucus Health Care Bill on Abortion -- Full Text

EricLykins's picture

Today's one stop shop

for a collection of summaries of bloggers bashing Baucus is National Journal's blogometer

Tamara Shepherd's picture

Bring back the public option

Thanks, Eric. This comment (from the Blogometer) looks on point, eh:

Open Left's Chris Bowers: "The only justification ever given for the Baucus bill, and all of its problems, is that it could reach 60 votes. Well, that justification no longer exists. [...] Not only is the Baucus bill a highly questionable piece of legislation, it simply is not able to pass into law. Given how frequently conservative Democrats justify abandoning progressive policy by claiming that said policy cannot pass through Congress, it gives me great pleasure to point out in order for health care reform to pass, it actually requires a more robust public option in both the House and Senate."

EricLykins's picture

The politician my grandma

The politician my grandma has been voting for since before I was born goes wonknasty on the co op plan and gets riled up for a public option fight.

EricLykins's picture

Ben asks:

1. How is it similar/different from HR 3200, and the HELP committee bill?
2. How will the Finance Committee amend this? Who are the key players on right and left?
3. How does this affect what happens in the full Senate?

EricLykins's picture

proposed amendments so

proposed amendments so far

notables among the 564 amendments, broken down into helpful, political, or dubious categories by Igor Volsky, who is a fairly dangerous man << who the hell is Trace Adkins and why does google have such little respect for Charlie Daniels? I smell lefty conspiracy.

more

Tuesday 9am, Committee proceeds with the cockpunching

enjoy.

EricLykins's picture

accepted amendments

zyklonbee's picture

whatever u come up...

u can't afford it. ur shopping mercedes, arguing about the options, and driving an upside down ford.

EricLykins's picture

day 2 of mercedes shopping

day 2 of mercedes shopping

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