WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) - Details of proposed U.S. healthcare overhaul are beginning to emerge as two Senate committees writing the legislation prepare to hold public reviews in the next several days.
Here are some details of what lawmakers are considering based on an early draft of a bill being written by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee headed by Senator Edward Kennedy and on discussions with interested parties.
INSURANCE MARKET REFORMS:
* Insurance companies are barred from refusing to cover people because of health history.
* Insurers also required to cover some preventive services.
* Annual or lifetime limits on coverage prohibited.
* Children are allowed to stay on parents' insurance plan up to age 26.
INSURANCE GATEWAY OR EXCHANGE
* Provides grants to states to create 'gateways' to act as a clearinghouse for individuals and small businesses to buy insurance.
* Provides reinsurance funding for plans participating in the gateway.
* Establishes a Medical Advisory Council that would establish a minimum benefit for companies participating in the gateways.
* A government insurance plan would be created with payments to hospitals and doctors set at 10 percent above Medicare.
* Gateway participants would be encouraged to upgrade their information technology to help reduce duplication of treatments and lower costs.
OTHER COVERAGE PROVISIONS
* Establishes a sliding scale of subsidies for the purchase of insurance for people with incomes up to 500 percent of the poverty level.
* Would allow millions of people to become eligible for state Medicaid health plans for the poor. People with incomes up to 150 percent of poverty would be able to get Medicaid.
* Establishes a new Community Living Assistance Support Service for disabled, homebound, and institutionalized people.
* Creates incentive for employers who automatically enroll workers into into offered health plans.
(Compiled by Donna Smith; editing by Patricia Zengerle) Keywords: USA HEALTHCARE/CONGRESS (Donna.M.Smith@Thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Here are some details of what lawmakers are considering based on an early draft of a bill being written by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee headed by Senator Edward Kennedy and on discussions with interested parties.
INSURANCE MARKET REFORMS:
* Insurance companies are barred from refusing to cover people because of health history.
* Insurers also required to cover some preventive services.
* Annual or lifetime limits on coverage prohibited.
* Children are allowed to stay on parents' insurance plan up to age 26.
INSURANCE GATEWAY OR EXCHANGE
* Provides grants to states to create 'gateways' to act as a clearinghouse for individuals and small businesses to buy insurance.
* Provides reinsurance funding for plans participating in the gateway.
* Establishes a Medical Advisory Council that would establish a minimum benefit for companies participating in the gateways.
* A government insurance plan would be created with payments to hospitals and doctors set at 10 percent above Medicare.
* Gateway participants would be encouraged to upgrade their information technology to help reduce duplication of treatments and lower costs.
OTHER COVERAGE PROVISIONS
* Establishes a sliding scale of subsidies for the purchase of insurance for people with incomes up to 500 percent of the poverty level.
* Would allow millions of people to become eligible for state Medicaid health plans for the poor. People with incomes up to 150 percent of poverty would be able to get Medicaid.
* Establishes a new Community Living Assistance Support Service for disabled, homebound, and institutionalized people.
* Creates incentive for employers who automatically enroll workers into into offered health plans.
(Compiled by Donna Smith; editing by Patricia Zengerle) Keywords: USA HEALTHCARE/CONGRESS (Donna.M.Smith@Thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.