Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, was the lone committee member to cross party lines, breaking with other Republicans to vote for the measure. All the committee's Democrats supported the bill.
The plan is projected to extend coverage to an additional 29 million Americans.
The vote represents a pivotal step forward in the contentious health care debate. The Finance Committee is the last of five congressional panels to consider health care legislation before debate begins in the full House of Representatives and Senate.
If the House and Senate both manage to pass health care overhaul bills, a conference committee then will negotiate a final version requiring approval from both chambers before going to President Obama for his signature.
The Senate Finance Committee's bill would subsidize insurance for poorer Americans, establish nonprofit health care cooperatives and create health insurance exchanges to make it easier for small groups and individuals to buy insurance.
Among other things, it would cap annual out-of-pocket expenses and prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Make Money While You Sleep!
No comments:
Post a Comment