Labor & Employment Law

House or Senate Health Care Reform? Compare for Yourself

By Mike Hall

Over the coming days?and maybe weeks?U.S. House and Senate leaders, along with the Obama White House, will be working to shape one health care reform bill from the two each chamber passed earlier this year.

Now is a good time to compare the two and we’ve posted a comparison here. After you’ve compared the bills, mark you calendar for Jan. 13 to join in a National Call-In Day to the House to demand health care reform that works for working families. See details below.

The pair has many common elements that will help working families cope with the ever-rising costs of health care and address serious flaws and shortcomings in the nation’s health care system.

Health care reform advocates say that more than three-quarters of the bills’ provisions share such features as consumer protections, more affordable coverage for active workers and retirees and seniors, expanded coverage and cost containment.

But there also are significant differences in the bills. Overall, as we have reported, the House bill comes closer to AFL-CIO’s health care reform goals, including a public health care option, a much stronger employer fair share provision and no tax on workers’ health care benefits. We’ll have more on the tax issue later today.

While the Senate bill has many good points, it is deeply flawed, too; including a tax on workers’ health care benefits and lack of a public option that would help hold down health care costs and keep insurers accountable.

Click here for detailed look at the two bills and what provisions the AFL-CIO says should be included where the two differ.

You can help fight for real reform by taking part in the National Call-In Day, Wednesday, Jan. 13. Call toll-free 1-877-3-AFL-CIO (1-877-323-5246) and urge your representative to support working families by voting for health reform that:

• Does not tax our health care benefits;
• Requires employers to pay their fair share; and
• Reduces cost?the best way to do this is with a public health care option.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on January 07, 2010 (boomark / email).