The Senate & House Health Care Differences Quick Comparison

[TheBigotBasher]

These are what will be lost from the House version the differences the House and Senate will reconcile. Hopefully the abortion language will be lost in Conference and does not move further towards what is one of the worst aspects of the House version.

Senate Version

Cost
$871bn over 10 years

Reduction in US Fiscal Deficit
By $132bn between 2010-2019

Public option
None

Insurance exchange - to compare policies and prices
No national insurance exchange, states can form regional exchanges

How it will be paid for
0.9% increase on Medicare payroll tax for people earning over $200,000
10% on indoor tanning beds; taxes on medical devices
cut $483bn out of Medicare and other federal programmes

Employer Mandate
No requirement but there will be tax credits for those offering a scheme

Individual Mandate
Yes, $95 per person penalty in 2014, rising to 2% of household income in 2016 >

Medicaid & Medicare
Covers everyone with incomes less than 133% of poverty level (ie $29,327 for a family of four)

Number gaining health care coverage
31 million gain coverage (leaving 23 million uninsured)

Cost Controls
Premiums for elders cannot be more than three times those for younger people. Insurers competing in new exchanges must justify increases. No removal of anti-trust exemptions.

House Version

Cost
$1,052bn over 10 years

Reduction in US Fiscal Deficit
By $138bn between 2010-2019

Public option
Yes but highly restricted.

Insurance exchange - to compare policies and prices
National insurance exchange

Employer Mandate?
Yes for companies with annual payroll of $500,000+

Individual mandate - Must people have insurance?
Yes (2.5% tax penalty if don't obtain health care)

Number gaining health care coverage
36 million gain coverage (leaving 18 million uninsured)

How it will be paid for
5.4% surtax on people earning $500,000+ annually; 2.5% tax on medical devices
cut $404 billion out of projected growth of Medicare and other federal programmes

Medicaid & Medicare
Covers everyone with incomes less than 150% of the poverty level (ie $33,075 for a family of four)

Cost controls
Premiums for older people cannot be more than twice those for younger people. Companies stripped of anti-trust exemption that has protected firms from federal investigations. Price-fixing outlawed.