Democrats press for HMO fees to fund health reform

[babylonsister]

Democrats press for HMO fees to fund health reform
Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:17pm EDT

By Kim Dixon


WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) - A group of Democrats on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday called for health insurers to pay fees worth up to $100 billion over a decade to help pay for the overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system.

The proposed fees are among the options being discussed by the committee, Senator Charles Schumer told reporters at a briefing with fellow committee Democrats Debbie Stabenow, Robert Menendez and Jay Rockefeller.

Insurers are among the last segment of the healthcare industry that have not pledged to help fund the estimated $1 trillion reform that aims to rein in soaring costs and provide medical coverage to millions of the uninsured.

Drugmakers have committed $80 billion and the hospital sector has offered $155 billion, both over a decade.

"We need the insurance companies to step up to the plate," Schumer said. "It makes sense that private health insurers, who are going to gain 40 million customers in a reformed system, should pay their fair share."

He said details on how such a fee could be structured were still in flux, but a congressional source said they could be based on revenue or market share.

more...

http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN1532459020090715?sp=true

[Cerridwen]

1. "private health insurers, who are going to gain 40 million customers in a reformed system"

no comment

[Laelth]

2. As I suspected, a boon to the insurance industry. n/t

:mad:

-Laelth

[harun]

3. Life in the Corporate Representative Republic we call America.

[Laelth]

4. After all, they deserve a "seat at the table." People who support single-payer ...

... not so much.

:mad:

-Laelth

[harun]

5. Big Insurance owns the table.

[scubadude]

6. If we screw this one up we can forget the next election.

But with a mandate they will have the insurance companies and big pharma in thier pockets. Hmmmmmmmm Maybe the combo of the will win the election for the Dems anyway.

scuba

[slipslidingaway]

7. Schumer - private health insurers, who are going to gain 40 million customers in a reformed system

???