Senator Jim Bunning (R Ky) agreed tonight to permit the Senate to consider H.R. 4691 by unanimous consent. H.R. 4691 is the bill in addition to extending unemployment compensation benefits, will prolong the COBRA/TCC premium subsidy program and will avoid the 21% Medicare reimbursement cut to doctors until March 31, 2010. Sen. Bunning was allowed to offer a pay-go amendment to the bill. USA Today reports that the Senate may pass the bill tonight.
Update: H.R. 4691 was enacted last night.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee “sent letters to the four largest for-profit health insurance companies [Welllpoint, United Healthcare, Aetna, and Humana] asking for information about claim denials related to pre-existing conditions and company policies related to coverage of maternity care in the individual health insurance market. [The Committee} also requested that the CEOs of the companies testify on these issues at a Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on March 23, 2010.
Dow Jones reports that “Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius plans to meet Thursday with health-insurance chief executives she recently invited to discuss premium rates.”
The President is expected to update his strategy for enacting general health care reform tomorrow. The Associated Press reports tonight that
In remarks at the White House on Wednesday, the president will describe the final elements of his proposal and then ask Congress to enact it, aides said. Obama was expected to reiterate why changing the system is so important and again explain what his plans would mean to families and businesses. The aides also expected Obama to talk about the Republican ideas he wants woven into the Democrats’ plans. [The President released a letter that he issued to Congressional leaders today outlining four acceptable Republican ideas. The letter is reprinted in the Politico ]
He is expected to leave no doubt that, barring an unexpected change in Republican tactics, he wants Congress to pass the legislation using budget reconciliation rules, which prohibit Senate filibusters.