Health Care Remains a Top Issue in Congress

After months of discussions and drafting legislation, committees are beginning to narrow the focus of the legislation in both the House and Senate. Leaders in both chambers remain committed to the accelerated timeline of passing bills prior to the August recess and having the president sign the legislation in October.  The major hurdles for reform remain the financing of the expansion of coverage.  Working towards a bipartisan proposal will likely slow the speed of the legislation. In the Senate, leaders are moving away from a plan to tax health benefits of employees. In the House, a tax surcharge on the income of highly compensated individuals is gaining momentum. The surtax would affect individuals with incomes higher than $200,000 and couples over $250,000.  Also, a proposal to tax or penalize employers that do not offer health benefits is incorporated in both the House and Senate versions of the bill. While nothing has been decided, Congress is presented with an enormous task of finding revenue to pay for the over $1 trillion plan being discussed. Congress will continue to finalize the legislation as committees of jurisdiction in the U.S. House craft their version of legislation and Senate committees finalize their plan. The Senate must still mesh two competing committees' legislation into one before the Senate can vote on it.