November 4th, 2009

Reports Kaiser Health News:

House Republicans unveiled their 219-page health care overhaul legislation Tuesday night. The GOP asserts it would lower health care premiums for families and small businesses and that it would be a far less costly and intrusive approach to helping the uninsured than the Democratic proposals in the House and Senate. It is not expected to garner enough support to pass.

The bill’s general approach expands state-based high-risk insurance pools for Americans with pre-existing health problems, permits trade associations to organize to purchase group insurance, imposes caps on medical liability lawsuits and allows health insurance companies to sell policies across state lines. Most of these ideas — particularly efforts to reform medical malpractice laws — were left out of the Democratic approaches.

The GOP plan would also explicitly prohibit all federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. Rep. Bart T. Stupak (D-Mich.) is leading an effort by anti-abortion forces to include such a prohibition in the House Democrats’ legislation.

To find out more, visit KHN.