ON THE HILL: Summary of Amendments Considered in Senate Finance Committee Markup
Posted by The Campaign on September 30, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Below please find a summary of the amendments considered during today's Senate Finance Committee markup:
- By a vote of 13 to 10, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) that would have eliminated the proposed “industry fee” on health insurance plans.
- By a vote of 13 to 10, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) that would have delayed implementation of the proposed “industry fees” until the GAO certifies that no portion of the annual fee in each industry segment is likely to be passed on to consumers.
- Senator John Kerry (D-MA) offered an amendment that proposed changes to the high cost health plan tax, including increasing the premium thresholds. Kerry withdrew this amendment after Chairman Baucus indicated that he would work with him to revise this provision before the bill goes to the Senate floor. Senators Stabenow and Schumer also expressed concern about the impact of this proposed tax.
- By a vote of 14 to 9, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that would have eliminated a provision of the pending bill that would increase the threshold for determining the tax deductibility of itemized medical expenses from 7.5% to 10% of adjusted gross income.
- By a vote of 14 to 9, the committee approved an amendment by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) that would carve out seniors from the proposed 10% threshold for determining the tax deductibility of itemized medical expenses.
- By a vote of 12 to 11, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) that would have reduced the actuarial value of the lowest cost benefit package from 65 percent to 60 percent.
- Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) offered an amendment that would direct the HHS Secretary to establish a coordinated system of eligibility determination to allow individuals to use a single standard form to apply for Medicaid, CHIP, and tax credits. Bingaman withdrew this amendment to allow additional time for the committee to evaluate his proposed budget offset, which would require states to cover the cost of any additional state mandates they add to benefit packages offered through the state Exchange.
- By a vote of 13 to 10, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) that would have required applicants for Medicaid and CHIP benefits to present a government-issued photo identification with their application and, additionally, require that this identification be authenticated with the issuing agency.
- By a vote of 13 to 10, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) that would have required that, prior to the implementation of new rating rules in the individual and small group markets, the state insurance commissioner must certify that health insurance premiums in the state would not increase for a majority of residents.
- By a vote of 13 to 10, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) that would have added language providing that no funds authorized or appropriated under the pending bill could be used to pay for abortions or to pay for any health plan that includes coverage of abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is endangered.
- By a vote of 13 to 10, the committee defeated another amendment by Senator Hatch that would have prohibited discrimination against any individual or institutional health care entity on the basis that it does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions.
- By a vote of 14 to 9, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) that would have provided for a three-year Medicare physician payment “fix.”
- By a vote of 19 to 3, the committee approved an amendment by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Tom Carper (D-DE) that would allow health insurance plans in the individual and group markets to vary insurance premiums, providing a reward of up to 30 percent of the employee-paid premium, based on an individual or an employee’s participation in wellness programs.
- By voice vote, the committee approved an amendment by Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) that would prohibit the proposed taxes and fees from being implemented unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs certifies that these provisions would not increase the cost of medical care provided to veterans.
- By voice vote, the committee approved an amendment by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) that would establish a Bipartisan Commission on Access to Emergency Medical Services.
- Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) offered an amendment that would have excluded FSAs, HRAs, HSAs, dental, vision and other supplemental plans from counting toward the premium thresholds that are established with respect to the high-cost health plan tax. This amendment was ruled out of order because it did not include a budget offset.
- Senator Roberts offered another amendment that would have deleted a provision of the pending bill that would prohibit the cost of over-the-counter medications from being reimbursed through a health FSA, HRA, HSA, or Archer MSA. This amendment also was ruled out of order.
- By a vote of 14 to 9, the committee defeated an amendment by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) that would have required certain non-elderly, non-pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries to sign a state-designed personal responsibility agreement.
- By a vote of 13 to 10, the committee defeated another amendment by Senator Cornyn that would have required the HHS Secretary, prior to implementing the Medicaid expansions proposed by the pending bill, to certify that the Medicaid program’s average payment error rate is less than 3.9 percent.
- Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) offered an amendment that would modify the bill’s “maintenance of effort” requirement for state Medicaid programs, applying it only to enrollees with income levels up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level beginning in 2011. The committee debated this amendment, but delayed voting on it until tomorrow morning.
- Senators Olympia (R-ME), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) offered an amendment that would exclude HIPAA-excepted benefits from the proposed tax on high-cost health plans. Other components of this amendment address tax credits for small businesses with seasonal employees and access to federally qualified health centers. This amendment was set aside and will be revisited at a later time.
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