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October 16, 2009 at 08:00 PM
Officials of America’s Health Insurance Plans appear to be trying to reopen talks with Senate Democratic leaders in an effort to reshape the healthcare reform legislation passed by a Senate panel earlier this week.
“I am writing to reaffirm our commitment to working with you to achieve the enactment of bipartisan reform legislation this year,” AHIP said in a letter addressed to Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and to the chairmen of the 2 committees that are managing healthcare reform legislation.
The letter was signed by Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of AHIP, Washington.
She made her comments as the Senate Democratic leadership sought to meld the Senate Finance Committee measure, passed by the panel Tuesday, with legislation passed in July by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee.
The combined bill will be sent to the Senate floor for debate, possibly by the end of next week.
The objective of the legislation, “is to cover all Americans, improve quality, and put the healthcare system on an affordable basis,” Ignani said. She also emphasized that the health care insurance industry “recognizes that we have a responsibility to play a leadership role in identifying strategies that will allow Congress to pass health care reform legislation that will work and that can be sustained.”
Those drafting healthcare reform legislation face the politically difficult problem of mandating penalties for not getting health insurance because one key to reducing health insurance premiums is having as many people pay for health insurance as possible.
