Reconciliation Bill Details

She has reason for that face shattering smile...

Politico has published details of the House Reconciliation Bill. Below are some details from the bill. The full text is available over at Politico.

The 153-page bill makes a number of changes to the Senate bill. The highlights:

--Increases the tax credits for middle-income families who buy insurance.

--Reduces the penalty for not buying insurance from $750 to $695. But the bill also requires some people to pay a share of their income as a penalty and that number was raised from 2 percent to 2.5 percent.

--It closes the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage by 2011 and gives seniors who fall into the gap this year a $250 rebate.

--It eliminates the Cornhusker Kickback and covers 100 percent of the increased Medicaid costs of all states until 2016 and decreases each year thereafter.

--Requires that doctors that care for Medicaid patients be reimbursed at the full rate.

--Spends $250 million to fight waste, fraud and abuse.

--Delays and blunts the tax on high-end insurance plans in keeping with the deal Democrats struck with the labor unions. However, it does lower the index at which plans will be taxed, making it likely that more plans will be affected over time.

--Imposes a Medicare tax on unearned income for families making more than $250,000.

--Includes student loan reform.

'Health Care Reform' is not dead. As a matter of fact, several news sources are reporting that it's got new life and is uncomfortably close to having enough support to get passed. If you have not already, CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES NOW!

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