U.S. House to debate health reform this summer

The three committee chairmen who have jurisdiction over parts of the effort to overhaul the U.S. health system are in agreement on how to proceed.

George Miller (Education and Labor Committee), Henry Waxman (Energy and Commerce Committee), and Charles Rangel (Ways and Means Committee) are working out of the same playbook.  As reported March 18 by the New York Times, the three plan to work from a single bill and have that bill considered by the full House before the August recess.

According to the Times, the bill will reflect "the view that most employers should help finance coverage and that the government should offer a public insurance plan as an alternative to private insurance."

Insurance companies are already expressing alarm at the idea that they would find themselves in competition with a government-run program.  Said Rangel, "A lot of people don't care whether it's Medicare, Medicaid, public or private.  They just want to know they can get affordable health care."

Some employer associations also have expressed opposition to a requirement that all employers (except very small businesses) provide coverage to their employees or help pay for it to be provided by someone else.  Whether that opposition intensifies in coming months probably depends on whether the lawmakers are able to fashion a bill that could achieve meaningful reductions in health care costs.  "Relief from soaring costs" is the bottom line for most employers.