No, I don’t mean the day when OPM releases 2010 FEHB premiums. That should happen soon. I mean the President’s speech. Yesterday, Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus released his healthcare reform proposal, which bears many similarities to the House bill, HR 3200. Today, the Chairman announced that his Committee will begin to mark up a bill on September 21 with or without Republican support according to the Politico.

Meanwhile, the American Medical Association and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association published their key health care reform elements.

Modern Healthcare reports that Sen. Christopher D0dd (D. Conn.) declined the chairmanship of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee in favor of retaining the chairmanship of the Banking Committee. Sen. Tom Harkin (D Iowa) is now the late Sen. Kennedy’s likely successor.